List of Ministers of Defence of the Netherlands

Minister of Defence of the Netherlands
Minister van Defensie
State Coat of the Kingdom of the Netherlands
Flag of the Kingdom of the Netherlands
Incumbent Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert since 5 November 2012
Ministry of Defence
Her Excellency
Member of	Council of Ministers
Appointer	Mark Rutte as Prime Minister of the Netherlands
Formation	February 16, 1798 (1798-02-16)
First holder	Gerrit Jan Pijman (as Agent of War)
Salary	€144,000 (including €7,887.24 expenses)
Website	(English) Ministry of Defence

The Minister of Defence (Dutch language: Minister van Defensie ) is the head of the Ministry of Defence and a member of the Cabinet of the Netherlands. Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert has been the Minister of Defence since 5 November 2012.

List of Ministers of Defence

For full list, see List of Ministers of Defence of the Netherlands. (Dutch)

Minister of Defence			Term of office	Party	Prime Minister (Cabinet)
		Major Johan Lambooij (1874–1942)	1 September 1928 – 10 August 1929	Roman-Catholic State Party	Dirk Jan de Geer (De Geer I)
		Laurentius Nicolaas Deckers (1883–1978)	10 August 1929 – 2 September 1935	Roman-Catholic State Party	Charles Ruijs de Beerenbrouck (De Beerenbrouck III) Hendrikus Colijn (Colijn II • III)
		Major Hendrikus Colijn (Ad interim Prime Minister) (1869–1944)	2 September 1935 – 24 June 1937	Anti-Revolutionary Party	Hendrikus Colijn (Colijn III)
		Captain Jannes van Dijk (1871–1954)	24 June 1937 – 10 August 1939	Anti-Revolutionary Party	Hendrikus Colijn (Colijn IV • V)
		Lieutenant general Adriaan Dijxhoorn (1889–1953)	10 August 1939 – 12 June 1941	Independent	Dirk Jan de Geer (De Geer II) Pieter Sjoerds Gerbrandy (Gerbrandy I)
		Hendrik van Boeijen (1889–1947)	12 June 1941 – 27 July 1941	Christian Historical Union	Pieter Sjoerds Gerbrandy (Gerbrandy I)
		Minister of War	Minister of the Navy	Term of office	Party	Prime Minister (Cabinet)
	Van Boeijen Furstner v.L.d. Jeude De Quay	Hendrik van Boeijen (1889–1947)	Lieutenant admiral Johan Furstner (1887–1970)	27 July 1941 – 15 September 1942	Christian Historical Union (v.Boeijen) Independent (Furstner)	Pieter Sjoerds Gerbrandy (Gerbrandy II)
		Otto van Lidth de Jeude (1881–1952)		15 September 1942 – 23 February 1945	Liberal State Party (v.L.d.Jeude) Independent (Furstner)
		Lieutenant commander Jim de Booy (1885–1969)		23 February 1945 – 4 April 1945	Independent	Pieter Sjoerds Gerbrandy (Gerbrandy III)
		Major Jan de Quay (1901–1985)	Lieutenant commander Jim de Booy (1885–1969)	4 April 1945 – 24 June 1945	Catholic People's Party (De Quay) Independent (De Booy)
		Major Jo Meynen (1901–1980)		24 June 1945 – 3 July 1946	Anti-Revolutionary Party (Meynen) Independent (De Booy)	Wim Schermerhorn (Schermerhorn-Drees)
	Fiévez	Colonel Alexander Fiévez (1902–1949)	Colonel Alexander Fiévez (Ad interim) (1902–1949)	3 July 1946 – 7 August 1946	Catholic People's Party (Fiévez) Independent (S.v.Leeuwen)	Louis Beel (Beel I)
			Rear admiral Jules Schagen van Leeuwen (1896–1976)	7 August 1946 – 24 November 1947
			Colonel Alexander Fiévez (Ad interim) (1902–1949)	25 November 1947 – 7 August 1948
Minister of War and the Navy			Term of office	Party	Prime Minister (Cabinet)
		Captain Wim Schokking (1900–1960)	7 August 1948 – 15 October 1950	Christian Historical Union	Willem Drees (Drees-Van Schaik)
		Captain Hans s'Jacob (1906–1967)	16 October 1950 – 15 March 1951	Christian Historical Union
		Kees Staf (1905–1973)	15 March 1951 – 13 October 1956	Christian Historical Union	Willem Drees (Drees I • II)
Minister of Defence			Term of office	Party	Prime Minister (Cabinet)
		Kees Staf (1905–1973)	13 October 1956 – 19 May 1959	Christian Historical Union	Willem Drees (III) Louis Beel (Beel II)
		Major general Sidney J. van den Bergh (1898–1977)	19 May 1959 – 1 August 1959	People's Party for Freedom and Democracy	Jan de Quay (De Quay)
		Major Jan de Quay (Ad interim Prime Minister) (1901–1985)	1 August 1959 – 4 September 1959	Catholic People's Party
		Sergeant Sim Visser (1908–1983)	4 September 1959 – 24 July 1963	People's Party for Freedom and Democracy
		Captain Piet de Jong (born 1915)	24 July 1963 – 5 April 1967	Catholic People's Party	Victor Marijnen (Marijnen) Jo Cals (Cals) Jelle Zijlstra (Zijlstra)
		Lieutenant general Willem den Toom (1911–1998)	5 April 1967 – 6 July 1971	People's Party for Freedom and Democracy	Piet de Jong (De Jong)
		Hans de Koster (1914–1992)	6 July 1971 – 11 May 1973	People's Party for Freedom and Democracy	Barend Biesheuvel (Biesheuvel I • II)
		Henk Vredeling (1924–2007)	11 May 1973 – 1 January 1977	Labour Party	Joop den Uyl (Den Uyl)
		Captain Bram Stemerdink (born 1936)	1 January 1977 – 19 December 1977	Labour Party
		Private first class Roelof Kruisinga (1922–2012)	19 December 1977 – 4 March 1978	Christian Historical Union	Dries van Agt (Van Agt I)
		Lieutenant Jan de Koning (Ad interim Minister for Development Cooperation) (1926–1994)	4 March 1978 – 8 March 1978	Anti-Revolutionary Party
		Willem Scholten (1927–2005)	8 March 1978 – 25 August 1980	Christian Historical Union
		Captain Pieter de Geus (1929–2004)	25 August 1980 – 11 September 1981	Christian Historical Union Christian Democratic Appeal
		Officer cadet Hans van Mierlo (1931–2010)	11 September 1981 – 4 November 1982	Democrats 66	Dries van Agt (Van Agt II • III)
		Job de Ruiter (1930–2015)	4 November 1982 – 14 July 1986	Christian Democratic Appeal	Ruud Lubbers (Lubbers I)
		Lieutenant Wim van Eekelen (born 1931)	14 July 1986 – 6 September 1988	People's Party for Freedom and Democracy	Ruud Lubbers (Lubbers II)
		Lieutenant Piet Bukman (Ad interim Minister for Development Cooperation) (born 1934)	6 September 1988 – 23 September 1988	Christian Democratic Appeal
		Frits Bolkestein (born 1933)	24 September 1988 – 7 November 1989	People's Party for Freedom and Democracy
		Relus ter Beek (1944–2008)	7 November 1989 – 22 August 1994	Labour Party	Ruud Lubbers (Lubbers III)
		Joris Voorhoeve (born 1945)	22 August 1994 – 3 August 1998	People's Party for Freedom and Democracy	Wim Kok (Kok I)
		Private first class Frank de Grave (born 1955)	3 August 1998 – 22 July 2002	People's Party for Freedom and Democracy	Wim Kok (Kok II)
		Benk Korthals (born 1944)	22 July 2002 – 12 December 2002	People's Party for Freedom and Democracy	Jan Peter Balkenende (Balkenende I)
		Henk Kamp (born 1952)	12 December 2002 – 22 February 2007	People's Party for Freedom and Democracy	Jan Peter Balkenende (Balkenende I • II • III)
		Eimert van Middelkoop (born 1949)	22 February 2007 – 14 October 2010	ChristianUnion	Jan Peter Balkenende (Balkenende IV)
		Hans Hillen (born 1947)	14 October 2010 – 5 November 2012	Christian Democratic Appeal	Mark Rutte (Rutte I)
		Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert (born 1973)	5 November 2012 – Incumbent	People's Party for Freedom and Democracy	Mark Rutte (Rutte II)

^Res. Resigned.

^Appt. Appointment: Henk Vredeling appointed European Commissioner 1977; Willem Scholten appointed Vice President of the Council of State 1980.

Living former Ministers of Defence

Minister of Defence	Term	Age
Piet de Jong	1963–1967	3 April 1915(1915-04-03)
Bram Stemerdink	1977	6 March 1936(1936-03-06)
Wim van Eekelen	1986–1988	5 February 1931(1931-02-05)
Piet Bukman	1988	7 February 1934(1934-02-07)
Frits Bolkestein	1988–1989	4 April 1933(1933-04-04)
Joris Voorhoeve	1994–1998	22 December 1945(1945-12-22)
Frank de Grave	1998–2002	27 June 1955(1955-06-27)
Benk Korthals	2002	5 October 1944(1944-10-05)
Henk Kamp	2002–2007	23 July 1952(1952-07-23)
Eimert van Middelkoop	2007–2010	14 February 1949(1949-02-14)
Hans Hillen	2010–2012	17 June 1947(1947-06-17)
Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert	2012–	7 April 1973(1973-04-07)

See also

• Ministry of Defence