# Chief of Defence (Netherlands)

The Chief of Defence (Dutch: Commandant der Strijdkrachten, CDS) is the highest-ranking officer in the Netherlands Armed Forces and is the principal military advisor to the minister of defence. On behalf of the minister of defence, he is responsible for operational policy, strategic planning and for preparing and executing military operations carried out by the armed forces. The chief of defence is in charge of the central staff and is the direct commanding officer of all the commanders of the branches of the armed forces. In this capacity, the chief of defence directs all the activities of the Royal Netherlands Army, the Royal Netherlands Navy and Royal Netherlands Air Force. He is also in charge of the Royal Netherlands Marechaussee, when it is operating under the guise of the minister of defence.

## History

The current position of Chief of Defence (CHOD) was created on 5 September 2005, when it replaced the existing role of Chef-Defensiestaf (Chief of the Defence Staff) and was abbreviated as CDS. Just like its predecessor role the position of Chief of Defence will rotate between the branches of the military; the first Chief of Defence was General Dick Berlijn, of the Royal Netherlands Air Force. The position of Chief of Defence is subsequently held by a Four-star officer with the rank of General or Lieutenant Admiral

## Responsibilities

The main role of the chief of defence is as an intermediary between the Minister of Defence and the Central Staff of the Armed Forces of The Netherlands. He makes operational policy and is responsible to the minister for military-strategic planning, operations and deployment of the armed forces. The chief of defence is the direct commanding officer of the commanders of the branches of the Armed forces.
* The commander of the Royal Netherlands Army
* The commander of the Royal Netherlands Air Force
* The commander of the Royal Netherlands Navy
The branch commanders are responsible for preparedness and actual deployment of their military personnel in the Netherlands and the rest of the world. Regarding operational planning and deployment, the branch commanders take their orders directly from the Chief of Defence.
The Royal Marechaussee (Gendarmerie) does not answer to the Chief of Defence directly, but rather to the secretary-general for the Ministry of Defence. The current secretary-general is Maarten Schurink.

## List of chiefs of the defence staff / chiefs of defence
### Commander-in-chief of the Armed forces (1914–1949)

| No. | Commander-in-chief of the Armed forces | Took office | Left office | Time in office | Defence branch |
| 1 | Snijders, CornelisGeneral Cornelis Snijders (1852–1939) | 31 July 1914 | 9 November 1918 | 4 years, 101 days | Royal Netherlands Army / Royal Netherlands East Indies Army |
| 2 | Pop, Willem FrederikLieutenant general Willem Frederik Pop (1852–1939) | 9 November 1918 | 20 November 1919 | 1 year, 11 days | Royal Netherlands Army |
| Vacant Interbellum |||||||
| 3 | Reijnders, IzaakGeneral Izaak Reijnders (1879–1966) | 28 August 1939 | 6 February 1940 | 162 days | Royal Netherlands Army |
| 4 | Reijnders, IzaakGeneral Henri Winkelman (1876–1952) | 6 February 1940 | 15 May 1940 | 99 days | Royal Netherlands Army |
| Vacant German occupation |||||||
| 5 | Lippe-Biesterfeld, BernhardGeneral Prince Bernhard of Lippe-Biesterfeld (1911–2004) | 3 September 1944 | 13 September 1945 | 1 year, 10 days | Royal Netherlands Army / Royal Netherlands East Indies Army / Royal Netherlands Navy |
| 6 | Kruls, Hendrik JohanGeneral Hendrik Johan Kruls (1902–1975) | 13 September 1945 | 1 January 1949 | 3 years, 110 days | Royal Netherlands Army |

### Chairman of the United Defence Staff (1949–1976)

| No. | Chairman of the United Defence Staff | Took office | Left office | Time in office | Defence branch |
| 1 | Kruls, Hendrik JohanGeneral Hendrik Johan Kruls (1902–1975) | 1 January 1949 | 5 January 1951 | 2 years, 4 days | Royal Netherlands Army |
| 2 | Holthe, Edzard Jacob vanVice admiral Edzard Jacob van Holthe (1896–1967) | 5 January 1951 | 10 January 1953 | 2 years, 5 days | Royal Netherlands Navy |
| 3 | Aler, FonsLieutenant general Fons Aler (1896–1981) | 10 January 1953 | 1 October 1953 | 264 days | Royal Netherlands Air Force |
| 4 | Hasselman, BenGeneral Ben Hasselman (1898–1984) | 1 October 1953 | 1 November 1957 | 4 years, 31 days | Royal Netherlands Army |
| 5 | Schaper, HeijeLieutenant general Heije Schaper (1906–1996) | 1 November 1957 | 10 May 1959 | 1 year, 190 days | Royal Netherlands Air Force |
| 6 | Propper, HenryLieutenant admiral Henry Pröpper (1906–1995) | 10 May 1959 | 10 May 1962 | 3 years, 0 days | Royal Netherlands Navy |
| 7 | le Fèvre de Montigny, GillisGeneral Gillis le Fèvre de Montigny (1901–1982) | 10 May 1962 | 5 May 1965 | 2 years, 360 days | Royal Netherlands Army |
| 8 | Zielstra, HeinGeneral Hein Zielstra (1908–1985) | 5 May 1965 | 30 December 1968 | 3 years, 239 days | Royal Netherlands Air Force |
| 9 | Wall Bake, Hugo van denLieutenant admiral Hugo van den Wall Bake (1913–1981) | 5 January 1969 | 15 January 1972 | 3 years, 10 days | Royal Netherlands Navy |
| 10 | Rijn, Willem vanLieutenant general Willem van Rijn (1915–1997) | 15 January 1972 | 1 November 1973 | 1 year, 290 days | Royal Netherlands Army |
| 11 | Wijting, RobbieGeneral Robbie Wijting (1925–1986) | 1 November 1973 | 10 December 1976 | 3 years, 39 days | Royal Netherlands Air Force |

### Chiefs of the Defence Staff (1976–2005)

| No. | Chief of the Defence Staff | Took office | Left office | Time in office | Defence branch |
| 1 | Wijting, RobbieGeneral Robbie Wijting (1925–1986) | 10 December 1976 | 1 November 1980 | 3 years, 327 days | Royal Netherlands Air Force |
| 2 | Jager, Cor deGeneral Cor de Jager (1925–2001) | 1 November 1980 | 5 July 1983 | 2 years, 246 days | Royal Netherlands Army |
| 3 | Huijser, GovertGeneral Govert Huijser (1931–2014) | 5 July 1983 | 10 December 1988 | 5 years, 158 days | Royal Netherlands Army |
| 4 | Graaff, PeterGeneral Peter Graaff (1936–2014) | 10 December 1988 | 10 May 1992 | 3 years, 152 days | Royal Netherlands Army |
| 5 | Vlis, Arie van derGeneral Arie van der Vlis (1940–2020) | 10 May 1992 | 15 August 1994 | 2 years, 97 days | Royal Netherlands Army |
| 6 | Breemen, Henk van denGeneral Henk van den Breemen (1941–2024) | 15 August 1994 | 5 June 1998 | 3 years, 294 days | Royal Netherlands Marine Corps |
| 7 | Kroon, LuukLieutenant admiral Luuk Kroon (1942–2012) | 5 June 1998 | 5 June 2004 | 6 years, 0 days | Royal Netherlands Navy |
| 8 | Berlijn, DickGeneral Dick Berlijn (born 1950) | 5 June 2004 | 5 September 2005 | 1 year, 92 days | Royal Netherlands Air Force |

### Chiefs of the Defence (2005–present)

| No. | Chief of the Defence | Took office | Left office | Time in office | Defence branch |
| 1 | Berlijn, DickGeneral Dick Berlijn (born 1950) | 5 September 2005 | 17 April 2008 | 2 years, 225 days | Royal Netherlands Air Force |
| 2 | Uhm, Peter vanGeneral Peter van Uhm (born 1955) | 17 April 2008 | 28 June 2012 | 4 years, 72 days | Royal Netherlands Army |
| 3 | Middendorp, TomGeneral Tom Middendorp (born 1960) | 28 June 2012 | 3 October 2017 | 5 years, 97 days | Royal Netherlands Army |
| 4 | Bauer, RobAdmiral Rob Bauer (born 1962) | 5 October 2017 | 15 April 2021 | 3 years, 192 days | Royal Netherlands Navy |
| 5 | Eichelsheim, OnnoGeneral Onno Eichelsheim (born 1966) | 15 April 2021 | Incumbent | 3 years, 295 days | Royal Netherlands Air Force |

## List of vice chiefs of defence

| Vice Chiefs of Defence | Military branch | Term of office |
| Lieutenant general Hans Sonneveld | Royal Netherlands Army | 5 September 2005 – 1 December 2006 (1 year, 87 days) |
| Lieutenant general Rob Bertholee (Born 1955) | Royal Netherlands Army | 1 December 2006 – 3 March 2008 (1 year, 93 days) |
| Lieutenant general Freek Meulman | Royal Netherlands Air Force | 3 March 2008 – 3 March 2012 (2 years, 0 days) |
| Vice admiral Wim Nagtegaal | Royal Netherlands Navy | 3 March 2010 – 14 May 2012 (2 years, 72 days) |
| Lieutenant general Hans Wehren | Royal Netherlands Air Force | 14 May 2012 – 1 September 2015 (3 years, 110 days) |
| Vice admiral Rob Bauer (born 1962) | Royal Netherlands Navy | 1 September 2015 – 13 July 2017 (1 year, 315 days) |
| Lieutenant general Martin Wijnen (Born 1966) | Royal Netherlands Army | 13 July 2017 – 1 July 2019 (1 year, 353 days) |
| Lieutenant general Onno Eichelsheim (Born 1966) | Royal Netherlands Air Force | 1 July 2019 - 8 March 2021 (1 year, 250 days) |
| Vice admiral Boudewijn Boots (born 1964) | Royal Netherlands Navy | 8 March 2021 - (3 years, 333 days) |