# List of ministers of defence (Denmark)

This is a list of all Danish ministers of defence.
The current office was established in 1905, merging the two previous positions of War Minister (for army matters) and Navy Minister.

## List of ministers of defence (1905–present)
### Christian IX (1863–1906)

| 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 | | Christensen, Jens ChristianJens Christian Christensen (1856–1930) | 5 September 1905 | 12 October 1908 | 3 years, 37 days | Venstre Reform | Christensen I–II |

### Frederick VIII (1906–1912)

| No. | Portrait | Name (birth–death) | Term of office | Term of office | Term of office | Political party | Cabinet | Ref. |
| No. | Portrait | Name (birth–death) | Took office | Left office | Time in office | Political party | Cabinet | Ref. |
| 2 | | Neergaard, Niels ThomasiusNiels Thomasius Neergaard (1854–1936) | 12 October 1908 | 16 September 1909 | 339 days | Moderate Venstre | Neergaard |
| (1) | | Christensen, Jens ChristianJens Christian Christensen (1856–1930) | 16 September 1909 | 18 October 1909 | 32 days | Venstre Reform | Holstein-Ledreborg |
| 3 | | Holstein-Ledreborg, LudvigLudvig Holstein-Ledreborg (1839–1912) | 18 October 1909 | 28 October 1909 | 10 days | Independent | Holstein-Ledreborg |

### Christian X (1912–1947)

| No. | Portrait | Name (birth–death) | Term of office | Term of office | Term of office | Political party | Cabinet | Ref. |
| No. | Portrait | Name (birth–death) | Took office | Left office | Time in office | Political party | Cabinet | Ref. |
| 4 | | Krabbe, ChristopherChristopher Krabbe [da] (1833–1913) | 28 October 1909 | 5 July 1910 | 250 days | Social Liberals | Zahle I |
| 5 | | Berntsen, KlausKlaus Berntsen (1844–1927) | 5 July 1910 | 21 June 1913 | 2 years, 351 days | Moderate Venstre | Berntsen |
| 6 | | Munch, Peter RochegunePeter Rochegune Munch (1870–1948) | 21 June 1913 | 30 March 1920 | 6 years, 283 days | Social Liberals | Zahle II |
| 7 | | Konow, HenriHenri Konow (1862–1939) | 30 March 1920 | 5 April 1920 | 6 days | Independent | Liebe |
| 8 | | Friis, Michael PedersenMichael Pedersen Friis (1857–1944) | 5 April 1920 | 5 May 1920 | 30 days | Independent | Friis |
| 9 | | Berntsen, KlausKlaus Berntsen (1844–1927) | 5 May 1920 | 9 October 1922 | 2 years, 157 days | Venstre | Neergaard II |
| 10 | | Brorsen, SørenSøren Brorsen (1875–1961) | 9 October 1922 | 23 April 1924 | 1 year, 197 days | Venstre | Neergaard III |
| 11 | | Rasmussen, LaustLaust Rasmussen [da] (1862–1941) | 23 April 1924 | 14 December 1926 | 2 years, 235 days | Social Democrats | Stauning I |
| (10) | | Brorsen, SørenSøren Brorsen (1875–1961) | 14 December 1926 | 30 April 1929 | 5 years, 7 days | Venstre | Madsen-Mygdal |
| (11) | | Rasmussen, LaustLaust Rasmussen [da] (1862–1941) | 30 April 1929 | 24 November 1932 | 3 years, 208 days | Social Democrats | Stauning II |
| 12 | | Hansen, Hans PeterHans Peter Hansen (1872–1953) | 24 November 1932 | 31 May 1933 | 188 days | Social Democrats | Stauning II |
| 13 | | Stauning, ThorvaldThorvald Stauning (1873–1942) | 31 May 1933 | 4 November 1935 | 2 years, 157 days | Social Democrats | Stauning II |
| 14 | | Andersen, AlsingAlsing Andersen (1893–1962) | 4 November 1935 | 10 April 1940 | 4 years, 158 days | Social Democrats | Stauning III–IV–V |
| None (10 April 1940 – 8 July 1940) (Alsing Emanuel Andersen) ||||||||
| None (8 July 1940 – 4 May 1942) (Søren Brorsen) ||||||||
| (10) | | Brorsen, SørenSøren Brorsen (1875–1961) | 4 May 1942 | 29 August 1943 | 1 year, 117 days | Venstre | Stauning VI Buhl I Scavenius |
| None (29 August 1943 – 5 May 1945) (Søren Brorsen) ||||||||
| 15 | | Kraft, Ole BjørnOle Bjørn Kraft (1893–1980) | 5 May 1945 | 7 November 1945 | 186 days | Conservatives | Buhl II |
| 16 | | Petersen, HaraldHarald Petersen (1893–1970) | 7 November 1945 | 13 November 1947 | 2 years, 6 days | Venstre | Kristensen |

### Frederick IX (1947–1972)

| No. | Portrait | Name (birth–death) | Term of office | Term of office | Term of office | Political party | Cabinet | Ref. |
| No. | Portrait | Name (birth–death) | Took office | Left office | Time in office | Political party | Cabinet | Ref. |
| 17 | | Hansen, Hans RasmusHans Rasmus Hansen (1896–1971) | 13 November 1947 | 30 October 1950 | 3 years, 17 days | Social Democrats | Hedtoft I–II |
| (16) | | Petersen, HaraldHarald Petersen (1893–1970) | 30 October 1950 | 30 September 1953 | 2 years, 335 days | Venstre | Eriksen |
| (17) | | Hansen, Hans RasmusHans Rasmus Hansen (1896–1971) | 30 September 1953 | 25 May 1956 | 2 years, 238 days | Social Democrats | Hedtoft III Hansen I |
| 18 | | Hansen, PoulPoul Hansen (1913–1966) | 25 May 1956 | 15 November 1962 | 6 years, 174 days | Social Democrats | Hansen I Kampmann I Krag I |
| 19 | | Hansen, PoulVictor Gram (1910–1969) | 15 November 1962 | 2 February 1968 | 5 years, 79 days | Social Democrats | Krag I–II |
| 20 | | Ninn-Hansen, ErikErik Ninn-Hansen (1922–2014) | 2 February 1968 | 17 March 1971 | 3 years, 43 days | Conservatives | Baunsgaard |
| 21 | | Ninn-Hansen, ErikKnud Østergaard [da] (1922–1993) | 17 March 1971 | 11 October 1971 | 208 days | Conservatives | Baunsgaard |
| 22 | | Olesen, KjeldKjeld Olesen (1932–2024) | 11 October 1971 | 27 September 1973 | 1 year, 351 days | Social Democrats | Krag I Jørgensen I |

### Margrethe II (1972–present)

| No. | Portrait | Name (birth–death) | Term of office | Term of office | Term of office | Political party | Cabinet | Ref. |
| No. | Portrait | Name (birth–death) | Took office | Left office | Time in office | Political party | Cabinet | Ref. |
| 23 | | Møller, OrlaOrla Møller (1916–1979) | 27 September 1973 | 19 December 1973 | 83 days | Social Democrats | Jørgensen I |
| 24 | | Brøndum, ErlingErling Brøndum (1930–2017) | 19 December 1973 | 13 February 1975 | 1 year, 56 days | Venstre | Hartling |
| (23) | | Møller, OrlaOrla Møller (1916–1979) | 13 February 1975 | 1 October 1977 | 2 years, 230 days | Social Democrats | Jørgensen II |
| 25 | | Søgaard, PoulPoul Søgaard (1923–2016) | 1 October 1977 | 10 September 1982 | 4 years, 344 days | Social Democrats | Jørgensen II–III–IV–V |
| 26 | | Engell, HansHans Engell (born 1948) | 10 September 1982 | 10 September 1987 | 5 years, 0 days | Conservatives | Schlüter I |
| 27 | | Collet, Bernt JohanBernt Johan Collet (born 1941) | 10 September 1987 | 3 June 1988 | 267 days | Conservatives | Schlüter II |
| 28 | | Enggaard, KnudKnud Enggaard (1929–2024) | 3 June 1988 | 25 January 1993 | 4 years, 236 days | Venstre | Schlüter III–Schlüter IV |
| 29 | | Hækkerup, HansHans Hækkerup (1945–2013) | 25 January 1993 | 21 December 2000 | 7 years, 331 days | Social Democrats | P. N. Rasmussen I–II–III–IV |
| 30 | | Trøjborg, JanJan Trøjborg (1955–2012) | 21 December 2000 | 27 November 2001 | 341 days | Social Democrats | P. N. Rasmussen IV |
| 31 | | Jensby, Svend AageSvend Aage Jensby (born 1940) | 27 November 2001 | 24 April 2004 | 2 years, 149 days | Venstre | A. F. Rasmussen I |
| 32 | | Gade, SørenSøren Gade (born 1963) | 24 April 2004 | 23 February 2010 | 5 years, 305 days | Venstre | A. F. Rasmussen I–II–III L. L. Rasmussen I |
| 33 | | Bech, Gitte LillelundGitte Lillelund Bech (born 1969) | 23 February 2010 | 3 October 2011 | 1 year, 222 days | Venstre | L. L. Rasmussen I |
| 34 | | Hækkerup, NickNick Hækkerup (born 1968) | 3 October 2011 | 9 August 2013 | 1 year, 310 days | Social Democrats | Thorning-Schmidt I |
| 35 | | Wammen, NicolaiNicolai Wammen (born 1971) | 9 August 2013 | 28 June 2015 | 1 year, 323 days | Social Democrats | Thorning-Schmidt I–II |
| 36 | | Holst, CarlCarl Holst (born 1970) | 28 June 2015 | 30 September 2015 | 94 days | Venstre | L. L. Rasmussen II |
| 37 | | Christensen, PeterPeter Christensen (1975–2025) | 30 September 2015 | 28 November 2016 | 1 year, 59 days | Venstre | L. L. Rasmussen II |
| 38 | | Frederiksen, Claus HjortClaus Hjort Frederiksen (born 1947) | 28 November 2016 | 27 June 2019 | 2 years, 211 days | Venstre | L. L. Rasmussen III |
| 39 | | Bramsen, TrineTrine Bramsen (born 1981) | 27 June 2019 | 4 February 2022 | 2 years, 222 days | Social Democrats | Frederiksen I |
| 40 | | Morten Bødskov (born 1970) | 4 February 2022 | 15 December 2022 | 314 days | Social Democrats | Frederiksen I |
| 41 | | Jakob Ellemann-Jensen (born 1973) | 15 December 2022 | 6 February 2023 | 53 days | Venstre | Frederiksen II | |
| – | | Troels Lund Poulsen (born 1976) Acting | 6 February 2023 | 1 August 2023 | 176 days | Venstre | Frederiksen II | |
| 41 | | Jakob Ellemann-Jensen (born 1973) | 1 august 2022 | 22 August 2023 | 21 days | Venstre | Frederiksen II | |
| 42 | | Troels Lund Poulsen (born 1976) | 22 August 2023 | Incumbent | 1 year, 168 days | Venstre | Frederiksen II | |