List of German defence ministers
Ministers of Defence (Bundesminister der Verteidigung), since 1955

List of German defence ministers

Section Title: Ministers of Defence (Bundesminister der Verteidigung), since 1955
Table Section Text: None

№	Name	Took office	Left office	Time in office	Party	Cabinet

Federal Minister for Defence

1	Theodor Blank	Theodor Blank (1905–1972)	7 June 1955	16 October 1956	1 year, 131 days	CDU	Adenauer II

2	Franz Josef Strauß	Franz Josef Strauß (1915–1988)	16 October 1956	29 December 1961	5 years, 74 days	CSU	Adenauer II – III

Federal Minister of Defence

(2)	Franz Josef Strauß	Franz Josef Strauß (1915–1988)	30 December 1961	9 January 1963	1 year, 10 days	CSU	Adenauer IV – V

3	Kai-Uwe von Hassel	Kai-Uwe von Hassel (1913–1997)	9 January 1963	1 December 1966	3 years, 326 days	CDU	Erhard I – II

4	Gerhard Schröder	Gerhard Schröder (1910–1989)	1 December 1966	21 October 1969	2 years, 324 days	CDU	Kiesinger I

5	Helmut Schmidt	Helmut Schmidt (1918–2015)	22 October 1969	7 July 1972	2 years, 259 days	SPD	Brandt I

6	Georg Leber	Georg Leber (1920–2012)	7 July 1972	16 February 1978	5 years, 224 days	SPD	Brandt I – II Schmidt I – II

7	Hans Apel	Hans Apel (1932–2011)	17 February 1978	1 October 1982	4 years, 226 days	SPD	Schmidt II – III

8	Manfred Wörner	Manfred Wörner (1934–1994)	4 October 1982	18 May 1988	5 years, 227 days	CDU	Kohl I – II – III

9	Rupert Scholz	Rupert Scholz (born 1937)	18 May 1988	21 April 1989	338 days	CDU	Kohl III

10	Gerhard Stoltenberg	Gerhard Stoltenberg (1928–2001)	21 April 1989	31 March 1992	2 years, 345 days	CDU	Kohl III – IV

11	Volker Rühe	Volker Rühe (born 1942)	1 April 1992	26 October 1998	6 years, 188 days	CDU	Kohl IV – V

12	Rudolf Scharping	Rudolf Scharping (born 1947)	27 October 1998	19 July 2002	3 years, 265 days	SPD	Schröder I

13	Peter Struck	Peter Struck (1943–2012)	19 July 2002	22 November 2005	3 years, 126 days	SPD	Schröder II

14	Franz Josef Jung	Franz Josef Jung (born 1949)	22 November 2005	28 October 2009	3 years, 340 days	CDU	Merkel I

15	Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg	Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg (born 1971)	28 October 2009	3 March 2011	1 year, 126 days	CSU	Merkel II

16	Thomas de Maizière	Thomas de Maizière (born 1954)	3 March 2011	17 December 2013	2 years, 289 days	CDU	Merkel II

17	Ursula von der Leyen	Ursula von der Leyen (born 1958)	17 December 2013	Incumbent	5 years, 105 days	CDU	Merkel III – IV

Sentence(s)

Hans Apel was the Minister of Defence from 1978 to 1982.
From 1978 to 1982, Hans Apel was the Minister of Defence.
From 1978 to 1982, Hans Apel was the Minister of Defence.

final_sentence: Hans Apel was the Minister of Defence from 1978 to 1982.
final_sentence: From 1978 to 1982, Hans Apel was the Minister of Defence.
final_sentence: From 1978 to 1982, Hans Apel was the Minister of Defence.