The Minister for Defence of

Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden,The United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names states that the country's formal name is the Kingdom of SwedenUNGEGN World Geographical Names, Sweden./ref> is a Nordic countries, Nordic c ...

( sv, försvarsminister; formal title: sv, statsråd och chef för försvarsdepartementet) is a member of the Government of Sweden ( sv, Regeringen). The Minister heads the Ministry for Defence and is appointed and dismissed at the sole discretion of the

prime minister of Sweden The prime minister ( sv, statsminister ; literally translating to "Minister of State") is the head of government of Sweden. The prime minister and their cabinet (the government) exercise executive authority in the Kingdom of Sweden and are su ...

. Although the Minister for Defence heads the Ministry of Defence, the Minister cannot as a general rule issue directives in his/her own right to the Supreme Commander or any other agency director-general in the defence portfolio due to the Swedish prohibition on ministerial rule, unless such authority is provided for in specific statutory provisions. Between 1840 and 1920, what corresponds to the Ministry for Defence today, was divided in two separate ministries with their own minister: one for Army affairs, the Ministry of Land Defence, and one for Naval affairs, the Ministry for Naval Affairs. The current Minister for Defence is Pål Jonson, who was appointed on 18 October 2022.

List of Swedish Ministers for Defence

Ministers for War (1840-1920)

*1840 - 1840

Bror Cederström Gustaf Albrecht Bror Cederström (21 September 1780 – 21 December 1877) was a Swedish baron and lieutenant general and Minister of War. Biography Cederström was born at Fornsigtuna, Sweden and was the only child of lieutenant general and lat ...

(1780–1877) *1840 - 1843 Axel Otto Mörner (1774–1852) *1843 - 1844 Arfved Lovisin (1772–1847) *1844 - 1848 Gustaf Peyron (1783–1852) *1848 - 1853

Carl Ludvig von Hohenhausen Carl may refer to: * Carl, Georgia, city in USA * Carl, West Virginia, an unincorporated community *Carl (name), includes info about the name, variations of the name, and a list of people with the name * Carl², a TV series * "Carl", an episode of ...

(1787–1866) *1853 - 1858 Nils Gyldenstolpe (1799–1864) *1858 - 1862 Magnus Björnstjerna (1805–98) *1862 - 1867 Alexander Reuterskiöld (1804–91) *1867 - 1871

Gustaf Abelin Gustav, Gustaf or Gustave may refer to: *Gustav (name), a male given name of Old Swedish origin Art, entertainment, and media * ''Primeval'' (film), a 2007 American horror film * ''Gustav'' (film series), a Hungarian series of animated short cart ...

(1819–1903) *1871 - 1877

Oscar Weidenhielm Oscar, OSCAR, or The Oscar may refer to: People * Oscar (given name), an Irish- and English-language name also used in other languages; the article includes the names Oskar, Oskari, Oszkár, Óscar, and other forms. * Oscar (Irish mythology ...

(1816–84) *1877 - 1880

Henrik Rosensvärd Henrik is a male given name of Germanic origin, primarily used in Scandinavia, Estonia, Hungary and Slovenia. In Poland, the name is spelt Henryk but pronounced similarly. Equivalents in other languages are Henry (English), Heiki (Estonian), ...

(1816–90) *1880 - 1882

Otto Taube Otto is a masculine German given name and a surname. It originates as an Old High German short form (variants ''Audo'', ''Odo'', ''Udo'') of Germanic names beginning in ''aud-'', an element meaning "wealth, prosperity". The name is recorded ...

(1832–1906) *1882 - 1887

Axel Ryding Lieutenant General Knut ''Axel'' Ryding (28 August 1831 – 7 February 1897) was a Swedish Army officer. His senior commands include the post of Chief of the General Staff and commanding officer of the 3rd Military District and the 3rd Division. ...

(1831–97) *1887 - 1888

Gustaf Oscar Peyron Gustaf Oscar Peyron (5 January 1828 – 2 March 1915) was a Swedish military officer and politician. He was born in Nyköping Nyköping () is a locality and the seat of Nyköping Municipality, Södermanland County, Sweden with 32,759 inhab ...

(1828–1915) *1888 - 1892

Hjalmar Palmstierna Hjalmar () and Ingeborg () were a legendary Swedish duo. The male protagonist Hjalmar and his duel for Ingeborg figures in the '' Hervarar saga'' and in '' Orvar-Odd's saga'', as well as in '' Gesta Danorum'', ''Lay of Hyndla'' and a number of Fa ...

(1836–1909) *1892 - 1899

Axel Rappe ''Friherre'' General Axel Emil Rappe (2October 1838 – 18December 1918) was a Swedish Army officer and Minister of War from 1892 and 1899. Early life Rappe was born on 2 October 1838 in Christinelund manor in Arby, Kalmar County, the ...

(1838–1918) *1899 - 1903

Jesper Crusebjörn Jesper Ingevald Crusebjörn (24 July 1843 – 24 June 1904) was a Swedish politician and officer of the Swedish Army, eventually attaining the rank of lieutenant general. Life He was the son of Frans Crusebjörn and Lovisa Fougt. He became ...

(1843–1904) *1903 - 1905

Otto Virgin Otto is a masculine German given name and a surname. It originates as an Old High German short form (variants ''Audo'', ''Odo'', ''Udo'') of Germanic names beginning in ''aud-'', an element meaning "wealth, prosperity". The name is recorded ...

(1852–1922) *1905 - 1907

Lars Tingsten General Lars Herman Tingsten (13 July 1857 – 10 September 1937) was a Swedish Army officer. He was Minister for War from 1905 to 1907 and Chief of the General Staff from 1919 to 1922. Early life Tingsten was born on 13 July 1857 in Ingatorp, ...

(1857–1937), nonpolitical *1907 - 1907 Arvid Lindman (1862–1936), Rightist Party *1907 - 1911 Olof Malm (1851–1939), Rightist Party *1911 - 1914 David Bergström (1858–1946), Liberal *1914 - 1914

Hjalmar Hammarskjöld Knut Hjalmar Leonard Hammarskjöld (; 4 February 1862 – 12 October 1953) was a Swedish politician, scholar, cabinet minister, Member of Parliament from 1923 to 1938 ( first chamber), and Prime Minister of Sweden from 1914 to 1917. In 1890, he m ...

(1862–1953), nonpolitical *1914 - 1917 Emil Mörcke (1861–1951), nonpolitical *1917 - 1917 Joachim Åkerman (1868–1958), Rightist Party *1917 - 1920 Erik Nilson (1862–1925), Liberal *1920 - 1920 Per Albin Hansson (1885–1946),

Social Democratic Party The name Social Democratic Party or Social Democrats has been used by many political parties in various countries around the world. Such parties are most commonly aligned to social democracy as their political ideology. Active parties For ...

Ministers for Naval Affairs (1840-1920)

*1840 - 1844 Johan Lagerbjelke (1778–1856) *1844 - 1848 Carl August Gyllengranat (1787–1864) *1848 - 1849 Johan Fredrik Ehrenstam (1800–49) *1849 - 1852 Baltzar von Platen (1804–75) *1852 - 1857 Carl Ulner (1796–1859) *1857 - 1862 Carl Magnus Ehnemark (1803–74) *1862 - 1868 Baltzar von Platen (1804–75) *1868 - 1870 Magnus Thulstrup (1805–81) *1870 - 1874

Abraham Leijonhufvud Abraham, ; ar, , , name=, group= (originally Abram) is the common Hebrew patriarch of the Abrahamic religions, including Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. In Judaism, he is the founding father of the special relationship between the Jews ...

(1823–1911) *1874 - 1880 Fredrik von Otter (1833–1910) *1880 - 1892 Carl-Gustaf von Otter (1827–1900) *1892 - 1898 Jarl Christersson (1833–1922) *1898 - 1901 Gerhard Dyrssen (1854–1938) *1901 - 1905 Louis Palander (1842–1920) *1905 - 1905 Arvid Lindman (1862–1936) *1905 - 1906 Ludvig Sidner (1851–1917), Liberal *1906 - 1907 Wilhelm Dyrssen (1858–1929), Rightist Party *1907 - 1910 Carl-August Ehrensvärd (1858–1933), Rightist Party *1910 - 1911 Henning von Krusenstierna (1862–1933), Rightist Party *1911 - 1914 Jacob Larsson (1851–1940), Liberal *1914 - 1917 Dan Boström (1870–1925), nonpolitical *1917 - 1917 Hans Ericson (1868–1945), Rightist Party *1917 - 1920 Erik Palmstierna (1877–1959),

*1920 - 1920

Bernhard Eriksson Bernhard Eriksson (19 April 1878 – 18 April 1952) was a Swedish social democratic politician. He was Minister for Naval Affairs in 1920 and Speaker of the Riksdags second chamber 1928–1932. He also served as Governor of Dalarna Dalarna ...

(1878–1952),

Ministers for Defence (1920-)

Parties Status

External links

www.sweden.gov.se/sb/d/2060
{{Government ministries of Sweden

List of Swedish Ministers for Defence

Ministers for War (1840-1920)

Ministers for Naval Affairs (1840-1920)

Ministers for Defence (1920-)

See also

External links