The Minister of Defence of Denmark (, ) is the politically appointed head of the Danish Ministry of Defence. The Minister of Defence is responsible for the Danish Armed Forces, the Danish Defence Intelligence Service and the Danish Emergency Management Agency.
The Minister of Defence follows the directions given by the Prime Minister of Denmark and the decisions of the Folketing. The Danish Defence Law () designates in article 9 the Minister of Defence as the supreme authority in Defence (). Under the Minister is the Chief of Defence, the senior-ranking professional military officer heading the Defence Command, who commands the Army, the Navy, the Air Force and other units not reporting directly to the Ministry of Defence.
The main responsibilities of the Minister of Defence are to prevent armed conflicts and war, to safeguard the sovereignty of Denmark and integrity of Danish territory and to promote global peace and stability. Since 2002, these responsibilities have included the political leadership of the Danish contribution to the NATO led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan.
The current Defence Minister is Troels Lund Poulsen.
History
In 1905, the offices of the Minister for the Navy and the Minister of War were merged to create the current office of Defence Minister.
List of ministers of defence
Christian IX (1863–1906)
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
! rowspan=2|
! rowspan=2| Portrait
! rowspan=2| Name<br />
! colspan=3| Term of office
! colspan=2 rowspan=2| Political party
! rowspan=2| Cabinet
! rowspan=2|
|-
! Took office
! Left office
! Time in office
|-
| 1
| frameless|upright=0.3
| Jens Christian Christensen<br />
| 5 September 1905
| 12 October 1908
|
! style="background:;" |
| Venstre Reform Party
| Christensen I–II
|
|}
Frederick VIII (1906–1912)
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
! rowspan=2|
! rowspan=2| Portrait
! rowspan=2| Name<br />
! colspan=3| Term of office
! colspan=2 rowspan=2| Political party
! rowspan=2| Cabinet
! rowspan=2|
|-
! Took office
! Left office
! Time in office
|-
| 2
| frameless|upright=0.3
| Niels Neergaard<br />
| 12 October 1908
| 16 September 1909
|
! style="background:;" |
| Moderate Venstre
| Neergaard I
|
|-
| (1)
| frameless|upright=0.3
| Jens Christian Christensen<br />
| 16 September 1909
| 18 October 1909
|
! style="background:;" |
| Venstre Reform Party
| Holstein-Ledreborg
|
|-
| 3
| frameless|upright=0.3
| Ludvig Holstein-Ledreborg<br />
| 18 October 1909
| 28 October 1909
|
! style="background:;" |
| Independent
| Holstein-Ledreborg
|
|-
| 5
| frameless|upright=0.3
| Klaus Berntsen<br />
| 5 July 1910
| 21 June 1913
|
! style="background:;" |
| Venstre
| Berntsen
|
|}
Christian X (1912–1947)
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
! rowspan=2|
! rowspan=2| Portrait
! rowspan=2| Name<br />
! colspan=3| Term of office
! colspan=2 rowspan=2| Political party
! rowspan=2| Cabinet
! rowspan=2|
|-
! Took office
! Left office
! Time in office
|-
| 6
| frameless|upright=0.3
| Peter Rochegune Munch<br />
| 21 June 1913
| 30 March 1920
|
! style="background:;" |
| Social Liberal
| Zahle II
|
|-
| 7
| frameless|upright=0.3
| Henri Konow<br />
| 30 March 1920
| 5 April 1920
|
! style="background:;" |
| Independent
| Liebe
|
|-
| 8
| frameless|upright=0.3
| Michael Pedersen Friis<br />
| 5 April 1920
| 5 May 1920
|
! style="background:;" |
| Independent
| Friis
|
|-
| 9
| frameless|upright=0.3
| Klaus Berntsen<br />
| 5 May 1920
| 9 October 1922
|
! style="background:;" |
| Venstre
| Neergaard II
|
|-
| 10
| frameless|upright=0.3
| Søren Brorsen<br />
| 9 October 1922
| 23 April 1924
|
! style="background:;" |
| Venstre
| Neergaard III
|
|-
| 11
| frameless|upright=0.3
| <br />
| 23 April 1924
| 14 December 1926
|
! style="background:;" |
| Social Democrats
| Stauning I
|
|-
| (10)
| frameless|upright=0.3
| Søren Brorsen<br />
| 14 December 1926
| 30 April 1929
|
! style="background:;" |
| Venstre
| Madsen-Mygdal
|
|-
| (11)
| frameless|upright=0.3
| <br />
| 30 April 1929
| 24 November 1932
|
! style="background:;" |
| Social Democrats
| Stauning II
|
|-
| 12
| frameless|upright=0.3
| Hans Peter Hansen<br />
| 24 November 1932
| 31 May 1933
|
! style="background:;" |
| Social Democrats
| Stauning II
| <br />
|-
| (10)
| frameless|upright=0.3
| Søren Brorsen<br />
| 8 July 1940
| 29 August 1943
|
! style="background:;" |
| Venstre
| Stauning VI<br />Buhl I<br />Scavenius
| <br />
|-
! colspan=10| No Danish government in between and . Office is assumed by the permanent secretary.
|-
| 15
| frameless|upright=0.3
| Ole Bjørn Kraft<br />
| 5 May 1945
| 7 November 1945
|
! style="background:;" |
| Conservative People's Party
| Buhl II
|
|-
| 16
| frameless|upright=0.3
| Harald Petersen<br />
| 7 November 1945
| 13 November 1947
|
! style="background:;" |
| Venstre
| Kristensen
|
|}
Frederick IX (1947–1972)
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
! rowspan=2|
! rowspan=2| Portrait
! rowspan=2| Name<br />
! colspan=3| Term of office
! colspan=2 rowspan=2| Political party
! rowspan=2| Cabinet
! rowspan=2|
|-
! Took office
! Left office
! Time in office
|-
| 17
| frameless|upright=0.3
| Hans Rasmus Hansen<br />
| 13 November 1947
| 30 October 1950
|
! style="background:;" |
| Social Democrats
| Hedtoft I–II
|
|-
| (16)
| frameless|upright=0.3
| Harald Petersen<br />
| 30 October 1950
| 30 September 1953
|
! style="background:;" |
| Venstre
| Eriksen
|
|-
| (17)
| frameless|upright=0.3
| Hans Rasmus Hansen<br />
| 30 September 1953
| 25 May 1956
|
! style="background:;" |
| Social Democrats
| Hedtoft III<br />Hansen I
|
|-
| 18
| frameless|upright=0.3
| Poul Hansen<br />
| 8 October 1958
| 15 November 1962
|
! style="background:;" |
| Social Democrats
| Hansen I–II<br />Kampmann I–II<br />Krag I
| <br /><br />
|-
| 19
| frameless|upright=0.3
| Victor Gram<br />
| 15 November 1962
| 2 February 1968
|
! style="background:;" |
| Social Democrats
| Krag I–II
|
|-
| 20
| frameless|upright=0.3
| Erik Ninn-Hansen<br />
| 2 February 1968
| 17 March 1971
|
! style="background:;" |
| Conservative People's Party
| Baunsgaard
|
|-
| 21
| frameless|upright=0.3
| <br />
| 17 March 1971
| 11 October 1971
|
! style="background:;" |
| Conservative People's Party
| Baunsgaard
|
|}
Margrethe II (1972–present)
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
! rowspan=2|
! rowspan=2| Portrait
! rowspan=2| Name<br />
! colspan=3| Term of office
! colspan=2 rowspan=2| Political party
! rowspan=2| Cabinet
! rowspan=2|
|-
! Took office
! Left office
! Time in office
|-
| 23
| frameless|upright=0.3
| Orla Møller<br />
| 27 September 1973
| 19 December 1973
|
! style="background:;" |
| Social Democrats
| Jørgensen I
|
|-
| (23)
| frameless|upright=0.3
| Orla Møller<br />
| 13 February 1975
| 1 October 1977
|
! style="background:;" |
| Social Democrats
| Jørgensen II
|
|-
| 25
| frameless|upright=0.3
| Poul Søgaard<br />
| 1 October 1977
| 10 September 1982
|
! style="background:;" |
| Social Democrats
| Jørgensen II–III–IV–V
| <br />
|-
| 26
| frameless|upright=0.3
| Hans Engell<br />
| 10 September 1982
| 10 September 1987
|
! style="background:;" |
| Conservative People's Party
| Schlüter I
|
|-
| 27
| frameless|upright=0.3
| Bernt Johan Collet<br />
| 10 September 1987
| 3 June 1988
|
! style="background:;" |
| Conservative People's Party
| Schlüter II
|
|-
| 28
| frameless|upright=0.3
| Knud Enggaard<br />
| 3 June 1988
| 25 January 1993
|
! style="background:;" |
| Venstre
| Schlüter III–IV
|
|-
| 29
| frameless|upright=0.3
| Hans Hækkerup<br />
| 25 January 1993
| 21 December 2000
|
! style="background:;" |
| Social Democrats
| P. N. Rasmussen I–II–III–IV
| <br />
|-
| 30
| frameless|upright=0.3
| Jan Trøjborg<br />
| 21 December 2000
| 27 November 2001
|
! style="background:;" |
| Social Democrats
| P. N. Rasmussen IV
|
|-
| 32
| frameless|upright=0.3
| Søren Gade<br />
| 24 April 2004
| 23 February 2010
|
! style="background:;" |
| Venstre
| A. F. Rasmussen I–II–III<br />L. L. Rasmussen I
| <br />
|-
| 33
| frameless|upright=0.3
| Gitte Lillelund Bech<br />
| 23 February 2010
| 3 October 2011
|
! style="background:;" |
| Venstre
| L. L. Rasmussen I
|
|-
| 35
| frameless|upright=0.3
| Nicolai Wammen<br />
| 9 August 2013
| 28 June 2015
|
! style="background:;" |
| Social Democrats
| Thorning-Schmidt I–II
|
|-
| 36
| frameless|upright=0.3
| Carl Holst<br />
| 28 June 2015
| 30 September 2015
|
! style="background:;" |
| Venstre
| rowspan="2" | L. L. Rasmussen II
|
|-
| 37
| frameless|upright=0.3
| Peter Christensen<br />
| 30 September 2015
| 28 November 2016
|
! style="background:;" |
| Venstre
|
|-
| 39
| frameless|upright=0.3
| Trine Bramsen<br />
| 27 June 2019
| 4 February 2022
|
! style="background:;" |
| Social Democrats
| rowspan="2" | Frederiksen I
|
|-
| 40
| frameless|upright=0.3
| Morten Bødskov<br />
| 4 February 2022
| 15 December 2022
|
! style="background:;" |
| Social Democrats
|
|-
| (41)
| frameless|upright=0.3
| Jakob Ellemann-Jensen<br />
| 1 August 2023
| 22 August 2023
|
! style="background:;" |
| Venstre
|
|-
| 42
| frameless|upright=0.3
| Troels Lund Poulsen<br />
| 22 August 2023
| Incumbent
|
! style="background:;" |
| Venstre
|
|}
See also
- Commander-in-chief#Denmark