# Minister of Defence (Finland)

The Minister of Defence (Finnish: puolustusministeri, Swedish: försvarsminister) is a member of the Finnish Council of State. As the head of the Ministry of Defence, the minister is responsible for the administration of national defence. The ministry is headquartered in Helsinki. The current Minister of Defence is Antti Häkkänen.
From June to November 1918 the post was called Chief of the War Department, and from then until 1922 the post was called the Minister of War.
The President of the Republic is the commander-in-chief of the Finnish Defence Forces. The commander of the military forces is the Chief of Defence.

## Ministry offices

Finnish Ministry of Defence Offices consists of two wings:
* South Makasiinikatu 8 since - Built by CL Engel as barracks for the Finnish Guard in 1922 and destroyed in 1944 and rebuilt by retaining the original walls from 1954 to 1956 and used as Defense Headquarters since 1956
* Fabiansgatan 2 - newer wing was built in 1961 by Finnish architects Viljo Revell and Heikki Castrén.

### Previous ministry offices

* Eteläesplanadi 10 - 1918-1921 it was located here and now home to Ministry of Justice
* Korkeavuorenkatu 21 (Ohrana House) - relocated in 1921 and here until beginning of World War II; now Finnish Border Guard Headquarters
* Snellmaninkatu 4-6 - moved here 1941 to 1956 which now home to Finnish Financial Supervision Authority

## List of ministers of defence

Source:
| No. | Minister | Took office | Left office | Time in office | Party | Cabinet |
| 1 | Vilhelm Thesleff (1880–1941) | 27 May 1918 | 27 November 1918 | 184 days | Independent | Paasikivi I |
| 2 | Rudolf Walden (1878–1946) | 27 November 1918 | 15 August 1919 | 261 days | Independent | Ingman K. Castrén |
| 3 | Karl Emil Berg (1869–1921) | 15 August 1919 | 15 March 1920 | 213 days | Independent | Vennola I |
| 4 | Bruno Jalander (1872–1966) | 15 March 1920 | 9 April 1921 | 1 year, 25 days | Independent | Erich |
| 5 | Onni Hämäläinen (1885–1954) | 9 April 1921 | 3 September 1921 | 147 days | Independent | Vennola II |
| (4) | Bruno Jalander (1872–1966) | 3 September 1921 | 22 June 1923 | 1 year, 292 days | Independent | Vennola II Cajander I Kallio I |
| 6 | Kyösti Kallio (1873–1940) | 22 June 1923 | 16 August 1923 | 55 days | Centre | Kallio I |
| 7 | Vilho Nenonen (1883–1960) | 16 August 1923 | 18 January 1924 | 155 days | Independent | Kallio I |
| 8 | Viktor Henrik Schvindt (1866–1928) | 18 January 1924 | 11 March 1924 | 53 days | Independent | Cajander II |
| 9 | Ivar Aminoff (1868–1931) | 11 March 1924 | 31 May 1924 | 81 days | Independent | Cajander II |
| 10 | Lauri Malmberg (1888–1948) | 31 May 1924 | 31 March 1925 | 304 days | Independent | Ingman II |
| 11 | Aleksander Lampén (1879–1935) | 31 March 1925 | 31 December 1925 | 275 days | National Coalition | Tulenheimo |
| 12 | Leonard Hjelmman (1869–1952) | 31 December 1925 | 13 December 1926 | 347 days | National Coalition | Kallio II |
| 13 | Kaarlo Heinonen (1878–1944) | 13 December 1926 | 17 December 1927 | 1 year, 4 days | SDP | Tanner |
| 14 | Jalo Lahdensuo (1882–1973) | 17 December 1927 | 22 December 1928 | 1 year, 5 days | Centre | Sunila I |
| 15 | Aimo Cajander (1879–1943) | 22 December 1928 | 16 August 1929 | 237 days | National Progressive | Mantere |
| 16 | Juho Niukkanen (1888–1954) | 16 August 1929 | 4 July 1930 | 322 days | Centre | Kallio III |
| 17 | Albin Manner (1888–1954) | 10 July 1930 | 21 March 1931 | 254 days | Centre | Svinhufvud II |
| (14) | Jalo Lahdensuo (1882–1973) | 21 March 1931 | 14 December 1932 | 1 year, 268 days | Centre | Sunila II |
| 18 | Arvi Oksala (1891–1949) | 14 December 1932 | 12 March 1937 | 4 years, 88 days | Independent | Kivimäki Kallio IV |
| (16) | Juho Niukkanen (1888–1954) | 12 March 1937 | 27 March 1940 | 3 years, 15 days | Centre | Cajander III Ryti I |
| (2) | Rudolf Walden (1878–1946) | 27 March 1940 | 1 December 1944 | 4 years, 249 days | Independent | Ryti II Rangell Linkomies Hackzell U. Castrén Paasikivi II |
| 19 | Väinö Valve (1895–1995) | 1 December 1944 | 17 April 1945 | 137 days | Independent | Paasikivi II |
| 20 | Mauno Pekkala (1890–1952) | 17 April 1945 | 27 March 1946 | 344 days | SKDL | Paasikivi III Pekkala |
| 21 | Yrjö Kallinen (1886–1976) | 27 March 1946 | 29 July 1948 | 2 years, 124 days | SDP | Pekkala |
| 22 | Emil Skog (1897–1981) | 29 July 1948 | 17 March 1950 | 1 year, 231 days | SDP | Fagerholm I |
| 23 | Kustaa Tiitu (1896–1990) | 17 March 1950 | 17 January 1951 | 306 days | Centre | Kekkonen I |
| (22) | Emil Skog (1897–1981) | 17 January 1951 | 9 July 1953 | 2 years, 173 days | SDP | Kekkonen II-III |
| 24 | Kauno Kleemola (1906–1965) | 9 July 1953 | 17 November 1953 | 131 days | Centre | Kekkonen IV |
| 25 | Päiviö Hetemäki (1913–1980) | 17 November 1953 | 5 May 1954 | 169 days | National Coalition | Tuomioja |
| (22) | Emil Skog (1897–1981) | 5 May 1954 | 27 May 1957 | 3 years, 22 days | SDP | Törngren Kekkonen V Fagerholm II |
| 26 | Atte Pakkanen (1912–1994) | 27 May 1957 | 2 September 1957 | 98 days | Centre | Sukselainen I |
| 27 | Pekka Malinen (1921–2004) | 2 September 1957 | 29 November 1957 | 88 days | Liberals | Sukselainen I |
| 28 | Kalle Lehmus (1907–1987) | 29 November 1957 | 26 April 1958 | 148 days | Independent | von Fieandt |
| 29 | Edvard Björkenheim (1901–1965) | 26 April 1958 | 29 August 1958 | 125 days | Independent | Kuuskoski |
| 30 | Toivo Wiherheimo (1898–1970) | 29 August 1958 | 13 January 1959 | 137 days | National Coalition | Fagerholm II |
| 31 | Leo Häppölä (1911–1998) | 13 January 1959 | 14 July 1961 | 2 years, 182 days | Centre | Sukselainen II |
| (29) | Edvard Björkenheim (1901–1965) | 14 July 1961 | 13 April 1962 | 273 days | Centre | Miettunen I |
| 32 | Arvo Pentti (1915–1986) | 13 April 1962 | 18 December 1963 | 1 year, 249 days | Centre | Karjalainen I |
| 33 | Kaarlo Leinonen (1914–1975) | 18 December 1963 | 12 September 1964 | 269 days | Independent | Lehto |
| (32) | Arvo Pentti (1915–1986) | 12 September 1964 | 27 May 1966 | 1 year, 257 days | Centre | Virolainen |
| 34 | Sulo Suorttanen (1921–2005) | 27 May 1966 | 14 May 1970 | 3 years, 352 days | Centre | Paasio I Koivisto I |
| (32) | Arvo Pentti (1915–1986) | 14 May 1970 | 15 July 1970 | 62 days | Independent | Aura I |
| 35 | Kristian Gestrin (1929–1990) | 15 July 1970 | 29 October 1971 | 1 year, 106 days | RKP | Karjalainen II |
| (32) | Arvo Pentti (1915–1986) | 29 October 1971 | 23 February 1972 | 117 days | Independent | Aura II |
| 36 | Sulo Hostila (1920–2002) | 23 February 1972 | 4 September 1972 | 194 days | SDP | Paasio II |
| (35) | Kristian Gestrin (1929–1990) | 4 September 1972 | 30 September 1974 | 2 years, 26 days | RKP | Sorsa I |
| 37 | Carl-Olaf Homén (born 1936) | 1 October 1974 | 13 June 1975 | 255 days | RKP | Sorsa I |
| 38 | Erkki Huurtamo (1917–1999) | 13 June 1975 | 30 November 1975 | 170 days | Independent | Liinamaa |
| 39 | Ingvar S. Melin (1932–2011) | 30 November 1975 | 29 September 1976 | 304 days | RKP | Miettunen II |
| 40 | Seppo Westerlund (1930–2014) | 29 September 1976 | 15 May 1977 | 228 days | Liberals | Miettunen II |
| 41 | Taisto Tähkämaa (born 1924) | 15 May 1977 | 26 May 1979 | 2 years, 11 days | Centre | Sorsa II |
| 42 | Lasse Äikäs (1932–1988) | 26 May 1979 | 19 February 1982 | 2 years, 269 days | Centre | Koivisto II |
| 43 | Juhani Saukkonen (born 1937) | 19 February 1982 | 6 May 1983 | 1 year, 76 days | Centre | Sorsa III |
| 44 | Veikko Pihlajamäki (1922–2007) | 6 May 1983 | 30 April 1987 | 3 years, 359 days | Centre | Sorsa IV |
| 45 | Ole Norrback (born 1941) | 30 April 1987 | 13 June 1990 | 3 years, 44 days | RKP | Holkeri |
| 46 | Elisabeth Rehn (born 1935) | 13 June 1990 | 1 January 1995 | 4 years, 202 days | RKP | Holkeri Aho |
| 47 | Jan-Erik Enestam (born 1947) | 2 January 1995 | 13 April 1995 | 101 days | RKP | Aho |
| 48 | Anneli Taina (born 1951) | 13 April 1995 | 15 April 1999 | 4 years, 2 days | National Coalition | Lipponen I |
| (47) | Jan-Erik Enestam (born 1947) | 15 April 1999 | 17 April 2003 | 4 years, 2 days | RKP | Lipponen II |
| 49 | Matti Vanhanen (born 1955) | 17 April 2003 | 24 June 2003 | 68 days | Centre | Jäätteenmäki |
| 50 | Seppo Kääriäinen (born 1948) | 24 June 2003 | 19 April 2007 | 3 years, 299 days | Centre | Vanhanen I |
| 51 | Jyri Häkämies (born 1961) | 19 April 2007 | 22 June 2011 | 4 years, 64 days | National Coalition | Vanhanen II Kiviniemi |
| 52 | Stefan Wallin (born 1967) | 22 June 2011 | 5 July 2012 | 1 year, 13 days | RKP | Katainen |
| 53 | Carl Haglund (born 1979) | 5 July 2012 | 29 May 2015 | 2 years, 328 days | RKP | Katainen Stubb |
| 54 | Jussi Niinistö (born 1970) | 29 May 2015 | 6 June 2019 | 4 years, 8 days | Finns | Sipilä |
| 55 | Antti Kaikkonen (born 1974) | 6 June 2019 | 5 January 2023 | 3 years, 213 days | Centre | Rinne Marin |
| 56 | Mikko Savola (born 1981) | 5 January 2023 | 28 February 2023 | 54 days | Centre | Marin |
| (55) | Antti Kaikkonen (born 1974) | 28 February 2023 | 20 June 2023 | 112 days | Centre | Marin |
| 57 | Antti Häkkänen (born 1985) | 20 June 2023 | Incumbent | 1 year, 271 days | National Coalition | Orpo |