List of German defence ministers
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The federal minister of defence (Template:Langx) is the head of the Federal Ministry of Defence and a member of the Federal Cabinet.
According to Article 65a of the German Constitution (Template:Langx), the federal minister of defence is commander-in-chief (Template:Langx) of the German armed forces, the Bundeswehr, in peacetime.[1] Conversely, when a state of defence is declared, the federal chancellor becomes commander-in-chief.[2] The highest-ranking military officer in the Bundeswehr is the Inspector General of the Bundeswehr (Template:Langx).
List of officeholders
Ministers of defence, 1919–1935
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Minister of war, 1935–1938
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In 1938 the Ministry of War was abolished and replaced by the Oberkommando der Wehrmacht (OKW), as a result of the Blomberg–Fritsch affair.
Chiefs of the OKW (de facto ministers of war, 1938–1945)
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Minister of war, 1945
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Karl Dönitz was named as Minister of War in Hitler's testament.
Ministers of defence of the GDR, 1956–1990
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Ministers of defence (Bundesminister der Verteidigung), since 1955
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