List of German defence ministers
| Federal Minister of Defence | |
|---|---|
| Bundesminister der Verteidigung | |
since 19 January 2023 | |
| Federal Ministry of Defence | |
| Reports to | The federal chancellor |
| Appointer | The president, upon advice of the federal chancellor |
| Formation | 13 February 1919 |
| First holder | Gustav Noske (Weimar Republic) Theodor Blank (Federal Republic of Germany) |
| Website | bmvg.de |
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The federal minister of defence (German: Bundesminister der Verteidigung) is the head of the Federal Ministry of Defence and a member of the Federal Cabinet.
According to Article 65a of the German Constitution (German: Grundgesetz), the federal minister of defence is commander-in-chief (German: Inhaber der Befehls- und Kommandogewalt) of the German armed forces, the Bundeswehr, in peacetime. Conversely, when a state of defence is declared, the federal chancellor becomes commander-in-chief. The highest-ranking military officer in the Bundeswehr is the Inspector General of the Bundeswehr (German: Generalinspekteur der Bundeswehr).
The current federal minister of defence is Boris Pistorius, since 19 January 2023.