List of chancellors of Germany

The chancellor of Germany is the political leader of Germany. They choose all other members of the government and lead cabinet meetings.

The office first started in the North German Confederation in 1867. Otto von Bismarck became the first chancellor. The unification of Germany and start of the German Empire in 1871 meant that the Confederation changed into a German country. Its leader was called chancellor of Germany.

At first, the chancellor was only an advisor to the emperor. The emperor chose the chancellor. Later this changed. Under the 1919 Weimar Constitution, the elected President chose the chancellor. In Nazi Germany, politicians ignored the constitution. The chancellor became a dictator under Adolf Hitler. During Allied occupation, there was no chancellor in East or West Germany. This changed after the 1949 Basic Law. This made the chancellor the most important job in the government. The president became less important.

 North German Confederation,  (1867–1871) 
The North German Confederation started after the German Confederation ended. This happened because Prussia won the Austro-Prussian War of 1866. The Prussian king chose the Chancellor.

Political party

 Portrait Name Term of office Party Took office Left office Duration 80px|alt=Portrait Otto von Bismarck 1867 1871  Non-partisan

  German Empire,  (1871–1918) 
The German Empire started from the North German Federation because of the Franco-Prussian War. The new Emperor named the chancellor to advise him.

Political parties

 Portrait Name Term of office Party Cabinet Took office Left office Duration 80px|alt=Portrait Otto von Bismarck 1871 1890  Non-partisan Bismarck 80px|alt=Portrait Leo von Caprivi 1890 1894  Non-partisan Caprivi 80px|alt=Portrait Chlodwig zu Hohenlohe-Schillingsfürst 1894 1900  Non-partisan Hohenlohe-Schillingsfürst 80px|alt=Portrait Bernhard von Bülow 1900 1909  Non-partisan Bülow 80px|alt=Portrait Theobald von Bethmann-Hollweg 1909 1917  Non-partisan Bethmann-Hollweg 80px|alt=Portrait Georg Michaelis 1917 1917  Non-partisan Michaelis 80px|alt=Portrait Georg von Hertling 1917 1918  Centre Party Hertling 80px|alt=Portrait Max von Baden 1918 1918  Non-partisan Baden

 Revolutionary period, Reichskanzler (1918–1919) 
On 9 November 1918, chancellor Max von Baden gave his office to Friedrich Ebert. Ebert continued to be the head of government during the three months between the end of the German Empire in November 1918 and the start of the National Assembly in February 1919. He was Chairman of the Council of the People's Deputies together with USPD Leader Hugo Haase.

Political party

 Portrait Name Term of office Party Cabinet Took office Left office Duration 80px|alt=Portrait Friedrich Ebert 1918 1919  Social Democratic Party of Germany 

  Weimar Republic,  (1919–1933) 
The Weimar Constitution of 1919 started the Weimar Republic. The chancellors often needed support from the President.

Political parties

+ Portrait Name Term of office Party Cabinet Reichstag Took office Left office Duration 80px|alt=Portrait Philipp Scheidemann 1919 1919  Social Democratic Party of Germany  Nat.Ass. 80px|alt=Portrait Gustav Bauer 1919 1920  Social Democratic Party of Germany  80px|alt=Portrait Hermann Müller 1920 1920  Social Democratic Party of Germany  80px|alt=Portrait Constantin Fehrenbach 1920 1921  Centre Party 1 80px|alt=Portrait Joseph Wirth 1921 1922  Centre Party   80px|alt=Portrait Wilhelm Cuno 1922 1923  Non-partisan  80px|alt=Portrait Gustav Stresemann 1923 1923  German People's Party   80px|alt=Portrait Wilhelm Marx 1923 1925  Centre Party   2 80px|alt=Portrait Hans Luther 1925 1926  Non-partisan   3  80px|alt=Portrait Wilhelm Marx 1926 1928  Centre Party   80px|alt=Portrait Hermann Müller  1928 1930  Social Democratic Party of Germany  4 80px|alt=Portrait Heinrich Brüning 1930 1932  Centre Party  5  80px|alt=Portrait Franz von Papen 1932 1932  Non-partisan  6 80px|alt=Portrait Kurt von Schleicher 1932 1933  Non-partisan  7

  Nazi Germany,  (1933–1945) 
Adolf Hitler's  (taking power) was the end of the Weimar Republic. It was the beginning of Nazi Germany. Hitler was dictator and had all the power.

Political parties

 Portrait Name Term of office Party Cabinet Reichstag Took office Left office Duration 80px Adolf Hitler 1933 1945  National SocialistGerman Workers' Party  8  9  10  11  80px|alt=Portrait Joseph Goebbels 1945 1945  National SocialistGerman Workers' Party  — 80px|alt=Portrait Lutz Graf Schwerin von Krosigk 1945 1945  National SocialistGerman Workers' Party  —

  Federal Republic of Germany,  (from 1949) 

In 1949, two separate German countries started: the Federal Republic of Germany (West Germany) and the German Democratic Republic (East Germany). The list below gives the chancellors of West Germany. The Chairman of the Council of Ministers controlled the government of East Germany. In 1990, East Germany ended. It merged with West Germany. It kept the name "Federal Republic of Germany".

Political parties

 Portrait Name Term of office Party Cabinet Bundestag Took office Left office Duration 80px|alt=Portrait Konrad Adenauer 1949 1953  Christian Democratic Union(CDU)  1  1953 1957  2  1957 1961  3  1961 1962  4  1962 1963  80px|alt=Portrait Ludwig Erhard 1963 1965  Christian Democratic Union(CDU)  1965 1966  5  80px|alt=Portrait Kurt Georg Kiesinger 1966 1969  Christian Democratic Union(CDU)  80px|alt=Portrait Willy Brandt 1969 1972  Social Democratic Party of Germany(SPD)  6  1972 1974  7  80px|alt=Portrait Walter Scheel 1974 1974  Free Democratic Party(FDP)  80px|alt=Portrait Helmut Schmidt 1974 1976  Social Democratic Party of Germany(SPD)  1976 1980  8  1980 1982  9  80px|alt=Portrait Helmut Kohl 1982 1983  Christian Democratic Union(CDU)  1983 1987  10  1987 1991  11  1991 1994  12  1994 1998  13  80px|alt=Portrait Gerhard Schröder 1998 2002  Social Democratic Party of Germany(SPD)  14  2002 2005  15  80px|alt=Portrait Angela Merkel 2005 2009  Christian Democratic Union(CDU)  16  2009 2013  17  2013 2018  18  2018 2021  19  80px|alt=Portrait Olaf Scholz 2021 Incumbent  Social Democratic Party of Germany(SPD)  20 

 Timeline 
 1867–1945 

 Since 1949 

 References 

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Germany
Category:Lists of German politicians