Minister of War
Minister van Oorlog
Longest serving Johannes Willem Bergansius [nl] 21 April 1888–21 August 1891 1 August 1901–17 August 1905
Ministry of War
Member of	Council of Ministers Cabinet
Reports to	Prime Minister
Appointer	Prime Minister
Formation	25 March 1848
First holder	Charles Nepveu
Final holder	Alexander Fiévez
Abolished	7 August 1948
Succession	Minister of Defence
Deputy	State Secretary for War

The minister of war of the Netherlands (Dutch: Minister van Oorlog), was the minister responsible for the Ministry of War and the Royal Netherlands Army. The position was abolished with the creation of the position for Minister of Defence.

The first minister of war was Charles Nepveu, while the last one was Alexander Fiévez, a member of the Catholic People's Party.

List of officeholders

No.	Portrait	Name (Born-Died)	Term of office			Political Party	Cabinet	Ref.
			Took office	Left office	Time in office
1		Charles Nepveu [nl] (1791–1871)	25 March 1848	21 November 1848	241 days	Independent	Schimmelpenninck
2		Jan Hendrik Voet [nl] (1793–1852)	21 November 1848	1 November 1849	345 days	Independent	De Kempenaer-Donker Curtius
3		Johannes Theodorus van Spengler [nl] (1790–1856)	1 November 1849	15 July 1852	2 years, 257 days	Independent	Thorbecke I
4		Lieutenant general Hendrik Forstner van Dambenoy [nl] (1792–1870)	15 July 1852	31 December 1857	5 years, 169 days	Independent Conservative	Thorbecke I Van Hall-Donker Curtius Van der Brugghen
5		Cornelis Theodorus van Meurs [nl] (1799–1894)	31 December 1857	1 September 1859	1 year, 244 days	Independent	Van der Brugghen Rochussen
6		Lieutenant general Eduard de Casembroot [nl] (1812–1883)	1 September 1859	1 February 1862	2 years, 153 days	Independent Conservative	Rochussen Van Hall-Van Heemstra Van Zuylen van Nijevelt-Van Heemstra
7		Lieutenant general Johan Wilhelm Blanken [nl] (1806–1880)	1 February 1862	1 June 1866	4 years, 120 days	Independent Liberal	Thorbecke II Fransen van de Putte
8		Major general Johan van den Bosch (1813–1870)	1 June 1866	4 June 1868	2 years, 3 days	Independent Conservative (Liberal Conservative)	Van Zuylen van Nijevelt	[1]
9		Lieutenant general Joannes Josephus van Mulken (1796–1879)	4 June 1868	4 January 1871	2 years, 214 days	Independent Liberal (Classical Liberal)	Van Bosse–Fock	[2]
10		Colonel Gerardus Petrus Booms (1822–1897)	4 January 1871	28 January 1871 (resigned)	24 days	Independent Liberal (Classical Liberal)	Thorbecke III	[3]
11		Major general Adriaan Engelvaart (1812–1893)	28 January 1871	23 December 1871 (resigned)	329 days	Independent Liberal (Classical Liberal)
–		Lodewijk Gerard Brocx (1819–1880) Acting	23 December 1871	5 February 1872	44 days	Independent Liberal (Classical Liberal)
12		Major general Félix Delprat (1812–1888)	5 February 1872	6 July 1872	152 days	Independent Liberal (Classical Liberal)
13		Major general Count Menno David van Limburg Stirum (1807–1891)	6 July 1872	15 September 1873 (resigned)	1 year, 71 days	Independent Liberal (Classical Liberal)	De Vries–Fransen van de Putte	[4]
–		Lodewijk Gerard Brocx (1819–1880) Acting	15 September 1873	6 October 1873	21 days	Independent Liberal (Classical Liberal)
14		Major general August Willem Philip Weitzel (1816–1896)	6 October 1873	29 April 1875 (resigned)	1 year, 205 days	Independent Liberal (Conservative Liberal)
							Heemskerk–Van Lynden van Sandenburg	[5]
15		Colonel Hendrik Enderlein (1821–1898)	29 April 1875	1 January 1876 (resigned)	247 days	Independent Conservative (Liberal Conservative)
–		Willem van Erp Taalman Kip (1824–1905) Acting	1 January 1876	1 February 1876	31 days	Independent Liberal (Conservative Liberal)
16		Jonkheer Guillaume Klerck (1825–1884)	1 February 1876	11 September 1876 (resigned)	223 days	Independent Liberal (Conservative Liberal)
–		Willem van Erp Taalman Kip (1824–1905) Acting	11 September 1876	30 September 1876	19 days	Independent Liberal (Conservative Liberal)
17		Colonel Hendrik Beijen (1817–1892)	30 September 1876	3 November 1877	1 year, 34 days	Independent Conservative (Liberal Conservative)
18		Major Jan Karel de Roo van Alderwerelt (1832–1878)	3 November 1877	29 December 1878 †	1 year, 56 days	Independent Liberal (Classical Liberal)	Kappeyne van de Coppello	[6]
–		Captain Jonkheer Hendrikus Wichers (1831–1889) Acting	29 December 1878	15 February 1879	48 days	Independent Liberal (Classical Liberal)
19		Major general Jacobus den Beer Poortugael (1832–1913)	15 February 1879	20 August 1879	186 days	Independent Liberal (Classical Liberal)
20		Major general Anthonie Reuther (1819–1889)	20 August 1879	23 April 1883	3 years, 246 days	Independent Christian Democrat (Conservative Catholic)	Van Lynden van Sandenburg	[7]
(14)		Major general August Willem Philip Weitzel (1816–1896)	23 April 1883	21 April 1888	4 years, 364 days	Independent Liberal (Conservative Liberal)	J. Heemskerk	[8]
21		Major general Johannes Bergansius (1836–1913)	21 April 1888	21 August 1891	3 years, 122 days	Independent Christian Democrat (Catholic)	Mackay	[9]
22		Colonel Lodewijk Seyffardt (1840–1909)	21 August 1891	9 May 1894	2 years, 261 days	Independent Liberal (Social Liberal)	Van Tienhoven	[10]
23		Lieutenant general Clemens Schneider (1832–1925)	9 May 1894	27 July 1897	3 years, 79 days	Independent Christian Democrat (Catholic)	Röell	[11]
–		Joannes Coenraad Jansen (1840–1925) Acting	27 July 1897	31 July 1897	4 days	Liberal Union	Pierson	[12]
24		Lieutenant general Kornelis Eland (1838–1927)	31 July 1897	1 April 1901 (resigned)	3 years, 244 days	Liberal Union
25		Lieutenant general Arthur Kool (1841–1914)	1 April 1901	1 August 1901	122 days	Liberal Union
(21)		Lieutenant general Johannes Bergansius (1836–1913)	1 August 1901	17 August 1905	4 years, 16 days	Independent Christian Democrat (Catholic)	Kuyper	[13]
						General League of Roman Catholic Caucuses
26		Major general Henri Staal (1845–1920)	17 August 1905	7 April 1907 (resigned)	1 year, 233 days	Liberal Union	De Meester	[14]
27		Major general Ridder Willem van Rappard (1846–1913)	7 April 1907	12 February 1908	311 days	Independent Liberal (Classical Liberal)
28		Lieutenant general Frederik Sabron (1849–1916)	12 February 1908	27 July 1909 (resigned)	1 year, 165 days	Independent	T. Heemskerk	[15]
29		Major general Wouter Cool (1848–1928)	27 July 1909	4 January 1911 (resigned)	1 year, 161 days	Independent Liberal (Conservative Liberal)
30		Major Hendrikus Colijn (1869–1944)	4 January 1911	29 August 1913	2 years, 237 days	Anti-Revolutionary Party
31		Major general Nicolaas Bosboom (1855–1937)	29 August 1913	15 May 1917 (resigned)	3 years, 259 days	Independent Liberal (Conservative Liberal)	Cort van der Linden	[16]
–		Rear admiral Jean Jacques Rambonnet (1864–1943) Acting	15 May 1917	15 June 1917	31 days	Independent Liberal (Classical Liberal)
32		Jonkheer Bonifacius Cornelis de Jonge (1875–1958)	15 June 1917	9 September 1918	1 year, 86 days	Christian Historical Union
33		Jonkheer George Alting von Geusau (1864–1937)	9 September 1918	5 January 1920 (resigned)	1 year, 118 days	Roman Catholic State Party	Ruijs de Beerenbrouck I	[17]
–		Jonkheer Charles Ruijs de Beerenbrouck (1873–1936) Acting	5 January 1920	31 March 1920	86 days	Roman Catholic State Party
34		Lieutenant general Willem Frederik Pop (1858–1931)	31 March 1920	28 July 1921 (resigned)	1 year, 119 days	Independent
35		Captain Jannes van Dijk (1871–1954)	28 July 1921	4 August 1925	4 years, 7 days	Anti-Revolutionary Party
							Ruijs de Beerenbrouck II	[18]
36		Major Johan Lambooij (1874–1942)	4 August 1925	8 March 1926	216 days	Roman Catholic State Party	Colijn I	[19]
37		Captain Louis van Royen (1865–1946)	8 March 1926	24 April 1926 (resigned)	47 days	Independent Liberal (Classical Liberal)	De Geer I	[20]
(36)		Major Johan Lambooij (1874–1942)	24 April 1926	1 September 1928	2 years, 130 days	Roman Catholic State Party
No minister of War, Minister of Defence (1928–1941)
38		Hendrik van Boeijen (1889–1947)	27 July 1941	15 September 1942	1 year, 50 days	Christian Historical Union	Gerbrandy II	[21]
39		Jonkheer Otto van Lidth de Jeude (1881–1952)	15 September 1942	23 February 1945	2 years, 161 days	Liberal State Party
–		Lieutenant commander Jim de Booy (1885–1969) Acting	23 February 1945	4 April 1945	40 days	Independent Liberal (Classical Liberal)	Gerbrandy III	[22]
40		Major Dr. Jan de Quay (1901–1985)	4 April 1945	25 June 1945	82 days	Roman Catholic State Party
41		Jo Meynen (1901–1980)	25 June 1945	3 July 1946	1 year, 8 days	Anti-Revolutionary Party	Schermerhorn–Drees	[23]
42		Lieutenant colonel Alexander Fiévez (1902–1949)	3 July 1946	7 August 1948	2 years, 35 days	Catholic People's Party	Beel I	[24]