# Minister of War (Netherlands)

The minister of war of the Netherlands (Dutch: Minister van Oorlog), was the minister responsible for the Ministry of War and the Royal Netherlands Army. The position was abolished with the creation of the position for Minister of Defence.
The first minister of war was Charles Nepveu, while the last one was Alexander Fiévez, a member of the Catholic People's Party.

## List of officeholders

| No. | Portrait | Name (Born-Died) | Term of office | Term of office | Term of office | Political Party | Cabinet | Ref. |
| No. | Portrait | Name (Born-Died) | Took office | Left office | Time in office | Political Party | Cabinet | Ref. |
| 1 | | Charles Nepveu [nl] (1791–1871) | 25 March 1848 | 21 November 1848 | 241 days | Independent | Schimmelpenninck | |
| 2 | | Jan Hendrik Voet [nl] (1793–1852) | 21 November 1848 | 1 November 1849 | 345 days | Independent | De Kempenaer-Donker Curtius | |
| 3 | | Johannes Theodorus van Spengler [nl] (1790–1856) | 1 November 1849 | 15 July 1852 | 2 years, 257 days | Independent | Thorbecke I | |
| 4 | | Lieutenant general Hendrik Forstner van Dambenoy [nl] (1792–1870) | 15 July 1852 | 31 December 1857 | 5 years, 169 days | Independent Conservative | Thorbecke IVan Hall-Donker CurtiusVan der Brugghen | |
| 5 | | Cornelis Theodorus van Meurs [nl] (1799–1894) | 31 December 1857 | 1 September 1859 | 1 year, 244 days | Independent | Van der BrugghenRochussen | |
| 6 | | Lieutenant general Eduard de Casembroot [nl] (1812–1883) | 1 September 1859 | 1 February 1862 | 2 years, 153 days | Independent Conservative | RochussenVan Hall-Van HeemstraVan Zuylen van Nijevelt-Van Heemstra | |
| 7 | | Lieutenant general Johan Wilhelm Blanken [nl] (1806–1880) | 1 February 1862 | 1 June 1866 | 4 years, 120 days | Independent Liberal | Thorbecke IIFransen van de Putte | |
| 8 | | Major general Johan van den Bosch (1813–1870) | 1 June 1866 | 4 June 1868 | 2 years, 3 days | Independent Conservative (Liberal Conservative) | Van Zuylen van Nijevelt | |
| 9 | | Lieutenant general Joannes Josephus van Mulken (1796–1879) | 4 June 1868 | 4 January 1871 | 2 years, 214 days | Independent Liberal (Classical Liberal) | Van Bosse–Fock | |
| 10 | | Colonel Gerardus Petrus Booms (1822–1897) | 4 January 1871 | 28 January 1871 (resigned) | 24 days | Independent Liberal (Classical Liberal) | Thorbecke III | |
| 11 | | Major general Adriaan Engelvaart (1812–1893) | 28 January 1871 | 23 December 1871 (resigned) | 329 days | Independent Liberal (Classical Liberal) | Thorbecke III | |
| – | | Lodewijk Gerard Brocx (1819–1880) Acting | 23 December 1871 | 5 February 1872 | 44 days | Independent Liberal (Classical Liberal) | Thorbecke III | |
| 12 | | Major general Félix Delprat [nl] (1812–1888) | 5 February 1872 | 6 July 1872 | 152 days | Independent Liberal (Classical Liberal) | Thorbecke III | |
| 13 | | Major general Count Menno David van Limburg Stirum [nl] (1807–1891) | 6 July 1872 | 15 September 1873 (resigned) | 1 year, 71 days | Independent Liberal (Classical Liberal) | De Vries–Fransen van de Putte | |
| – | | Lodewijk Gerard Brocx (1819–1880) Acting | 15 September 1873 | 6 October 1873 | 21 days | Independent Liberal (Classical Liberal) | De Vries–Fransen van de Putte | |
| 14 | | Major general August Willem Philip Weitzel (1816–1896) | 6 October 1873 | 29 April 1875 (resigned) | 1 year, 205 days | Independent Liberal (Conservative Liberal) | De Vries–Fransen van de Putte | |
| 14 | | Major general August Willem Philip Weitzel (1816–1896) | 6 October 1873 | 29 April 1875 (resigned) | 1 year, 205 days | Independent Liberal (Conservative Liberal) | Heemskerk–Van Lynden van Sandenburg | |
| 15 | | Colonel Hendrik Enderlein [nl] (1821–1898) | 29 April 1875 | 1 January 1876 (resigned) | 247 days | Independent Conservative (Liberal Conservative) | Heemskerk–Van Lynden van Sandenburg | |
| – | | Willem van Erp Taalman Kip [nl] (1824–1905) Acting | 1 January 1876 | 1 February 1876 | 31 days | Independent Liberal (Conservative Liberal) | Heemskerk–Van Lynden van Sandenburg | |
| 16 | | Jonkheer Guillaume Klerck [nl] (1825–1884) | 1 February 1876 | 11 September 1876 (resigned) | 223 days | Independent Liberal (Conservative Liberal) | Heemskerk–Van Lynden van Sandenburg | |
| – | | Willem van Erp Taalman Kip [nl] (1824–1905) Acting | 11 September 1876 | 30 September 1876 | 19 days | Independent Liberal (Conservative Liberal) | Heemskerk–Van Lynden van Sandenburg | |
| 17 | | Colonel Hendrik Beijen [nl] (1817–1892) | 30 September 1876 | 3 November 1877 | 1 year, 34 days | Independent Conservative (Liberal Conservative) | Heemskerk–Van Lynden van Sandenburg | |
| 18 | | Major Jan Karel de Roo van Alderwerelt [nl] (1832–1878) | 3 November 1877 | 29 December 1878 † | 1 year, 56 days | Independent Liberal (Classical Liberal) | Kappeyne van de Coppello | |
| – | | Captain Jonkheer Hendrikus Wichers [nl] (1831–1889) Acting | 29 December 1878 | 15 February 1879 | 48 days | Independent Liberal (Classical Liberal) | Kappeyne van de Coppello | |
| 19 | | Major general Jacobus den Beer Poortugael [nl] (1832–1913) | 15 February 1879 | 20 August 1879 | 186 days | Independent Liberal (Classical Liberal) | Kappeyne van de Coppello | |
| 20 | | Major general Anthonie Reuther [nl] (1819–1889) | 20 August 1879 | 23 April 1883 | 3 years, 246 days | Independent Christian Democrat (Conservative Catholic) | Van Lynden van Sandenburg | |
| (14) | | Major general August Willem Philip Weitzel (1816–1896) | 23 April 1883 | 21 April 1888 | 4 years, 364 days | Independent Liberal (Conservative Liberal) | J. Heemskerk | |
| 21 | | Major general Johannes Bergansius (1836–1913) | 21 April 1888 | 21 August 1891 | 3 years, 122 days | Independent Christian Democrat (Catholic) | Mackay | |
| 22 | | Colonel Lodewijk Seyffardt (1840–1909) | 21 August 1891 | 9 May 1894 | 2 years, 261 days | Independent Liberal (Social Liberal) | Van Tienhoven | |
| 23 | | Lieutenant general Clemens Schneider (1832–1925) | 9 May 1894 | 27 July 1897 | 3 years, 79 days | Independent Christian Democrat (Catholic) | Röell | |
| – | | Joannes Coenraad Jansen (1840–1925) Acting | 27 July 1897 | 31 July 1897 | 4 days | Liberal Union | Pierson | |
| 24 | | Lieutenant general Kornelis Eland (1838–1927) | 31 July 1897 | 1 April 1901 (resigned) | 3 years, 244 days | Liberal Union | Pierson | |
| 25 | | Lieutenant general Arthur Kool (1841–1914) | 1 April 1901 | 1 August 1901 | 122 days | Liberal Union | Pierson | |
| (21) | | Lieutenant general Johannes Bergansius (1836–1913) | 1 August 1901 | 17 August 1905 | 4 years, 16 days | Independent Christian Democrat (Catholic) | Kuyper | |
| | | Lieutenant general Johannes Bergansius (1836–1913) | 1 August 1901 | 17 August 1905 | 4 years, 16 days | General League of Roman Catholic Caucuses | Kuyper | |
| 26 | | Major general Henri Staal (1845–1920) | 17 August 1905 | 7 April 1907 (resigned) | 1 year, 233 days | Liberal Union | De Meester | |
| 27 | | Major general Ridder Willem van Rappard (1846–1913) | 7 April 1907 | 12 February 1908 | 311 days | Independent Liberal (Classical Liberal) | De Meester | |
| 28 | | Lieutenant general Frederik Sabron (1849–1916) | 12 February 1908 | 27 July 1909 (resigned) | 1 year, 165 days | Independent | T. Heemskerk | |
| 29 | | Major general Wouter Cool (1848–1928) | 27 July 1909 | 4 January 1911 (resigned) | 1 year, 161 days | Independent Liberal (Conservative Liberal) | T. Heemskerk | |
| 30 | | Major Hendrikus Colijn (1869–1944) | 4 January 1911 | 29 August 1913 | 2 years, 237 days | Anti-Revolutionary Party | T. Heemskerk | |
| 31 | | Major general Nicolaas Bosboom (1855–1937) | 29 August 1913 | 15 May 1917 (resigned) | 3 years, 259 days | Independent Liberal (Conservative Liberal) | Cort van der Linden | |
| – | | Rear admiral Jean Jacques Rambonnet (1864–1943) Acting | 15 May 1917 | 15 June 1917 | 31 days | Independent Liberal (Classical Liberal) | Cort van der Linden | |
| 32 | | Jonkheer Bonifacius Cornelis de Jonge (1875–1958) | 15 June 1917 | 9 September 1918 | 1 year, 86 days | Christian Historical Union | Cort van der Linden | |
| 33 | | Jonkheer George Alting von Geusau (1864–1937) | 9 September 1918 | 5 January 1920 (resigned) | 1 year, 118 days | Roman Catholic State Party | Ruijs de Beerenbrouck I | |
| – | | Jonkheer Charles Ruijs de Beerenbrouck (1873–1936) Acting | 5 January 1920 | 31 March 1920 | 86 days | Roman Catholic State Party | Ruijs de Beerenbrouck I | |
| 34 | | Lieutenant general Willem Frederik Pop (1858–1931) | 31 March 1920 | 28 July 1921 (resigned) | 1 year, 119 days | Independent | Ruijs de Beerenbrouck I | |
| 35 | | Captain Jannes van Dijk (1871–1954) | 28 July 1921 | 4 August 1925 | 4 years, 7 days | Anti-Revolutionary Party | Ruijs de Beerenbrouck I | |
| 35 | | Captain Jannes van Dijk (1871–1954) | 28 July 1921 | 4 August 1925 | 4 years, 7 days | Anti-Revolutionary Party | Ruijs de Beerenbrouck II | |
| 36 | | Major Johan Lambooij (1874–1942) | 4 August 1925 | 8 March 1926 | 216 days | Roman Catholic State Party | Colijn I | |
| 37 | | Captain Louis van Royen (1865–1946) | 8 March 1926 | 24 April 1926 (resigned) | 47 days | Independent Liberal (Classical Liberal) | De Geer I | |
| (36) | | Major Johan Lambooij (1874–1942) | 24 April 1926 | 1 September 1928 | 2 years, 130 days | Roman Catholic State Party | De Geer I | |
| No minister of War, Minister of Defence (1928–1941) |||||||||
| 38 | | Hendrik van Boeijen (1889–1947) | 27 July 1941 | 15 September 1942 | 1 year, 50 days | Christian Historical Union | Gerbrandy II | |
| 39 | | Jonkheer Otto van Lidth de Jeude (1881–1952) | 15 September 1942 | 23 February 1945 | 2 years, 161 days | Liberal State Party | Gerbrandy II | |
| – | | Lieutenant commander Jim de Booy (1885–1969) Acting | 23 February 1945 | 4 April 1945 | 40 days | Independent Liberal (Classical Liberal) | Gerbrandy III | |
| 40 | | Major Dr. Jan de Quay (1901–1985) | 4 April 1945 | 25 June 1945 | 82 days | Roman Catholic State Party | Gerbrandy III | |
| 41 | | Jo Meynen (1901–1980) | 25 June 1945 | 3 July 1946 | 1 year, 8 days | Anti-Revolutionary Party | Schermerhorn–Drees | |
| 42 | | Lieutenant colonel Alexander Fiévez (1902–1949) | 3 July 1946 | 7 August 1948 | 2 years, 35 days | Catholic People's Party | Beel I | |