Ministers of Defense, 1919-1935 Gustav Noske 1919-1920 Otto Geßler 1920-1928 Wilhelm Groener 1928-1932 Kurt von Schleicher 1932 Ferdinand von Bredow (acting) 1932-1933 Werner von Blomberg 1933-1935 Ministers of War, 1935-1938 Werner von Blomberg 1935-1938 Chiefs of the OKW, 1938-1945 Wilhelm Keitel 1938-1945 Ministers of Defense of the German Democratic Republic, 1956-1990 Willi Stoph 1956-1960 Heinz Hoffmann 1960-1985 Heinz Kessler 1985-1989 Theodor Hoffmann 1989-1990 Rainer Eppelmann 1990 Ministers of Defense of the Federal Republic, 1955-present Theodor Blank 1955-1956 Franz Josef Strauss 1956-1963 Kai-Uwe von Hassel 1963-1966 Gerhard Schröder 1966-1969 Helmut Schmidt 1969-1972 Georg Leber 1972-1978 Hans Apel 1978-1982 Manfred Wörner 1982-1988 Rupert Scholz 1988-1989 Gerhard Stoltenberg 1989-1992 Volker Rühe 1992-1998 Rudolf Scharping 1998-2002 Peter Struck 2002-
