List of German defence ministers
The Federal Minister of Defence is the head of the Federal Ministry of Defence and a member of the Federal Cabinet.
According to Article 65a of the German Constitution, the Federal Minister of Defence is Commander-in-chief of the Bundeswehr, the German armed forces. Article 115b decrees that in the state of defence, declared by the Bundestag with consent of the Bundesrat, the command in chief passes to the Federal Chancellor. The highest-ranking military officer in the Bundeswehr is the Inspector General of the Bundeswehr.
The current Federal Minister of Defence is Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer.In 1938 the Ministry of War was abolished and replaced by the Oberkommando der Wehrmacht, as a result of the Blomberg–Fritsch affair.Chief of the OKW (''de facto'' Minister of War, 1938–1945)
Minister of War, 1945
Ministers of Defence of the GDR, 1956–1990
Ministers of Defence (''Bundesminister der Verteidigung''), since 1955
