Ministry of Defence (1885–)

Established: 1. September 1885

The Ministry of Defence is a Government Office with responsibility for the formation and implementation of Norwegian security and defence policy.

On 1 September 1885, the Ministry of the Army (of 1846) had its name changed to the Ministry of Defence. Affairs were transferred from the abolished Ministry of the Navy (of 1885).

On 26 November 1920, aviation affairs, except mail transport, were assigned to the Ministry of Defence.

During the Second World War 1940-1945, Norwegian ministries were working under the legal leadership of Johan Nygaardsvold’s Government in exile in London, and under Nazi Germany’s occupation authorities in Oslo (marked NS).

The Ministry of Defence did not exist as a separate ministry in Oslo during the war. Remaining affairs were transferred to the Ministry of the Interior (of 1940) NS, in December 1944 to the Ministry of Finance and Customs NS.

On 8 May 1945, the ministry structure in Oslo was re-established as it was on 9 April 1940. At the same time, pilotage affairs were transferred from the Ministry of Defence to the Ministry of Trade (of 1916).

On 3 August 1945, the Ministry of Defence was organised in departments and offices according to fields of affairs, no longer according to defence branches.

On 15 February 1946, the Department of Civil Aviation in the Ministry of Defence was transferred to the Ministry of Labour (of 1885).

Politicians

Show only currently active roles

Aavatsmark, Ivar (V)
- Minister of Defence – Otto Blehr's Second Government 22/06/1921–06/03/1923
- Minister of Defence – Gunnar Knudsen Second Government 17/06/1919–21/06/1920
Anderssen-Rysst, Torgeir (V)
- Minister of Defence – Johan Mowinckel's Second Government 15/02/1928–12/05/1931
Bakke-Jensen, Frank (H)
- Minister of Defence – Erna Solberg's Government 20/10/2017–14/10/2021
Bratlie, Jens Kristian Meinich (H)
- Prime Minister and Minister of Defence - also acting Minister of Auditing – Jens Bratlie's Government 20/02/1912–31/01/1913
Bull, Karl Sigwald Johannes (H)
- Minister of Defence – Willer Konow's (S.B.) Government 02/02/1910–20/02/1912
Christensen, Ingolf Elster (H)
- Minister of Defence – Ivar Lykke's Government 26/07/1926–28/01/1928
Dawes, Karl Friedrich Griffin (V)
- Minister of Defence – Jørgen Løvland's Government 23/10/1907–19/03/1908
Devold, Kristin Krohn (H)
- Minister of Defence – Kjell Magne Bondevik' Second Government 19/10/2001–17/10/2005
Ditlev-Simonsen, Per (H)
- Minister of Defence – Jan P. Syse's Government 16/10/1989–03/11/1990
Eide, Espen Barth (A)
- Minister of Defence – Jens Stoltenberg's Second Government 11/11/2011–21/09/2012
Enoksen, Odd Roger (Sp)
- Minister of Defence – Jonas Gahr Støre's Government 14/10/2021–12/04/2022
Faremo, Grete (A)
- Minister of Defence – Jens Stoltenberg's Second Government 20/10/2009–11/11/2011
Fjærvoll, Dag Jostein (KrF)
- Minister of Defence – Kjell Magne Bondevik's First Government 17/10/1997–15/03/1999
Fostervoll, Alv Jakob (A)
- Minister of Defence – Trygve Bratteli's Second Government 16/10/1973–15/01/1976
- Minister of Defence – Trygve Bratteli's First Government 17/03/1971–18/10/1972
Godal, Bjørn Tore (A)
- Minister of Defence – Jens Stoltenberg's First Government 17/03/2000–19/10/2001
Gram, Bjørn Arild (Sp)
- Minister of Defence – Jonas Gahr Støre's Government 12/04/2022–
Handal, Nils Kristoffer (A)
- Minister of Defence – Einar Gerhardsen's Third Government 22/01/1955–18/02/1961
Hansen, Rolf (A)
- Minister of Defence – Odvar Nordli's Government 15/01/1976–08/10/1979
Harbitz, Johannes Winding (H)
- Minister of Defence – Emil Stang's Second Government 15/07/1894–27/04/1895
Harlem, Gudmund (A)
- Minister of Defence – Einar Gerhardsen's Fourth Government 25/09/1963–12/10/1965
- Minister of Defence – Einar Gerhardsen's Third Government 18/02/1961–28/08/1963
Hauge, Jens Christian (A)
- Minister of Defence – Oscar Torp's Government 19/11/1951–05/01/1952
- Minister of Defence – Einar Gerhardsen's Seond Government 05/11/1945–19/11/1951
Heftye, Thomas Thomassen (V)
- Minister of Defence – Gunnar Knudsen's First Government 19/03/1908–11/04/1908
- Minister of Defence – Otto Blehr's First Government 09/06/1903–22/10/1903
Hellesen, Gunnar Fredrik (H)
- Minister of Defence – Per Borten's Government 05/06/1970–17/03/1971
Hoff, Edvard Hans (H)
- Minister of Defence – Emil Stang's First Government 13/07/1889–06/03/1891
Holst, Johan Jørgen (A)
- Minister of Defence – Gro Harlem Brundtland's Third Government 03/11/1990–02/04/1993
- Minister of Defence – Gro Harlem Brundtland's Second Government 09/05/1986–16/10/1989
Holst, Peter Theodor (V)
- Minister of Defence – Johannes Steen's Government 17/02/1898–06/11/1900
- Minister of Defence – Johannes Steen's First Government 06/03/1891–02/05/1893
Holtfodt, Christian Theodor (V)
- Minister of Defence – Gunnar Knudsen Second Government 08/08/1914–20/02/1919
Hvoslef, Ragnvald (NS)
- Illegal minister of defence NS - did not take office – Illegal Vidkun Quisling government in Oslo 1940 09/04/1940–14/04/1940
Indrebø, Adolf (A)
- Minister of Defence and acting Minister of Defence – Johan Nygaardsvold's Government 15/11/1935–20/12/1935
Isaksen, Torbjørn Røe (H)
- Minister of Education and Research (acting) – Erna Solberg's Government 12/01/2015–31/01/2015
Jacobsen, Rolf (V)
- Minister of Defence – Johan Mowinckel's First Government 25/07/1924–05/03/1926
Keilhau, Hans Vilhelm Dopp Mandall (V)
- Minister of Defence – Gunnar Knudsen Second Government 31/01/1913–08/08/1914
Kleppe, Johan (V)
- Minister of Defence – Lars Korvald's Government 18/10/1972–16/10/1973
Knudsen, Kai Birger (A)
- Minister of Defence – Oscar Torp's Government 15/06/1954–22/01/1955
Kobro, Jens Isak de Lange (V)
- Minister of Defence – Johan Mowinckel's Third Government 03/03/1933–20/03/1935
Kosmo, Jørgen (A)
- Minister of Defence – Thorbjørn Jagland's Government 25/10/1996–17/10/1997
- Minister of Defence – Gro Harlem Brundtland's Third Government 02/04/1993–25/10/1996
Kyllingmark, Håkon (H)
- Minister of Defence – John Lyng s Government 28/08/1963–25/09/1963
Langhelle, Nils (A)
- Minister of Defence – Oscar Torp's Government 05/01/1952–15/06/1954
Ljungberg, Birger
- Minister og Defence - leave of absence – Johan Nygaardsvold's Government 28/11/1941–28/02/1942
- Minister of Defence - on travel to London and Paris – Johan Nygaardsvold's Government 01/05/1940–18/05/1940
- Minister of Defence – Johan Nygaardsvold's Government 22/12/1939–20/03/1942
Løwer, Eldbjørg (V)
- Minister of Defence – Kjell Magne Bondevik's First Government 15/03/1999–17/03/2000
Lowzow, Haakon Ditlev (V)
- Minister of Defence – Gunnar Knudsen's First Government 11/04/1908–20/08/1909
Michelsen, Christian (SMLNGSP)
- Prime Minister, Minister of Auditing and acting Minister of Defence – Christian Michelsen's Government 25/05/1907–23/10/1907
Monsen, Fredrik (A)
- Minister of Defence - leave of absence – Johan Nygaardsvold's Government 15/12/1939–22/12/1939
- Minister of Defence - leave of absence – Johan Nygaardsvold's Government 15/11/1935–15/08/1936
- Minister of Defence – Johan Nygaardsvold's Government 20/03/1935–22/12/1939
- Minister of Defence – Christopher Hornsrud's Government 28/01/1928–15/02/1928
Nielsen, Sven (H)
- Acting Minister of Defence – Johan Nygaardsvold's Government 01/05/1940–18/05/1940
Nygaardsvold, Johan (A)
- Prime Minister and acting Minister of Defence – Johan Nygaardsvold's Government 15/12/1939–22/12/1939
Olssøn, Christian Wilhelm Engel Bredal (H)
- Minister of Defence – Christian Michelsen's Government 11/03/1905–25/05/1907
- Minister of Defence – Francis Hagerup's First Government 14/10/1895–17/02/1898
- Minister of Defence – Emil Stang's Second Government 27/04/1895–14/10/1895
- Minister of Defence – Emil Stang's Second Government 02/05/1893–15/07/1894
Peersen, Rudolf Elias (V)
- Minister of Defence – Gunnar Knudsen Second Government 20/02/1919–17/06/1919
Presthus, Rolf (H)
- Minister of Defence – Kåre Willoch's Government 25/04/1986–09/05/1986
Quisling, Vidkun Abraham Lauritz
- Minister of Defence – Jens Hundseid's Government 14/03/1932–03/03/1933
- Minister of Defence – Peder Kolstad's Government 12/05/1931–14/03/1932
Sjaastad, Anders C. (H)
- Minister of Defence – Kåre Willoch's Government 14/10/1981–25/04/1986
Søreide, Ine M. Eriksen (H)
- Minister of Defence – Erna Solberg's Government 16/10/2013–20/10/2017
Spørck, August Geelmuyden (V)
- Minister of Defence – Gunnar Knudsen's First Government 20/08/1909–02/02/1910
Stang, Georg (V)
- Minister of Defence – Otto Blehr's First Government 21/04/1902–09/06/1903
- Minister of Defence – Johannes Steen's Government 06/11/1900–21/04/1902
Stoltenberg, Thorvald (A)
- Minister of Defence – Gro Harlem Brundtland's First Government 04/02/1981–14/10/1981
- Minister of Defence – Odvar Nordli's Government 08/10/1979–04/02/1981
Strøm-Erichsen, Anne-Grete (A)
- Minister of Defence – Jens Stoltenberg's Second Government 21/09/2012–16/10/2013
- Minister of Defence – Jens Stoltenberg's Second Government 17/10/2005–20/10/2009
Strugstad, Oscar Sigvald Julius (SMLNGSP)
- Minister of Defence – Francis Hagerup's Second Government 22/10/1903–11/03/1905
Sverdrup, Johan (V)
- Prime Minister and Minister of Defence – Johan Sverdrup's Government 01/09/1885–13/07/1889
Tidemand, Otto Grieg (H)
- Minister of Defence – Per Borten's Government 12/10/1965–05/06/1970
Torp, Oscar Fredrik (A)
- Minister of Defence – Einar Gerhardsen's First Government 25/06/1945–05/11/1945
- Minister of Defence, acting Prime Minister and acting Minister of Foreign Affairs in Oslo – Johan Nygaardsvold's Government 14/05/1945–31/05/1945
- Minister of Defence, acting Prime Minister and acting Minister of Foreign Relations – Government Delegation in Oslo 1945 08/05/1945–31/05/1945
- Minister of Defence – Johan Nygaardsvold's Government 20/03/1942–25/06/1945
- Minister of Finance and acting Minister of Defence – Johan Nygaardsvold's Government 28/11/1941–28/02/1942
- Acting Minister of Defence – Johan Nygaardsvold's Government 20/12/1935–15/08/1936
Wefring, Karl Wilhelm (FRIVNSTR)
- Minister of Defence – Ivar Lykke's Government 05/03/1926–26/07/1926
- Minister of Defence – Abraham Berge's Government 30/05/1923–25/07/1924
- Minister of Defence – Otto B. Halvorsen's Second Government 06/03/1923–30/05/1923
- Minister of Defence – Otto B. Halvorsen's First Government 21/06/1920–22/06/1921

Alfheim , Frode (A)
- Political Adviser for Kosmo, Jørgen 20/05/1996–25/10/1996
Aune, Ingrid Johansen (A)
- Political Adviser (acting) for Eide, Espen Barth 15/05/2012–21/09/2012
Bakervik, Rune (A)
- Political Adviser (acting) for Strøm-Erichsen, Anne-Grete 01/06/2009–30/09/2009
Berge, Frode (A)
- Political Adviser for Holst, Johan Jørgen 01/07/1992–01/01/1993
- Private Secretary for Holst, Johan Jørgen 03/12/1990–30/06/1992
Brekke, Sigve (A)
- Political Adviser for Kosmo, Jørgen 11/01/1993–08/11/1993
Bryn, Dag Ramsøy (A)
- Private Secretary for Hauge, Jens Christian 15/07/1946–11/07/1947
Eidem, Bengt Trygve (H)
- Political Adviser (leave of absence) for Devold, Kristin Krohn 24/01/2005–17/10/2005
- Political Adviser for Devold, Kristin Krohn 01/01/2004–24/01/2005
Eriksen, Elsa Lisbeth (A)
- Private Secretary for Holst, Johan Jørgen 07/03/1988–16/10/1989
Glomstein, Ivar
- Private Secretary for Sjaastad, Anders C. 15/10/1981–31/12/1985
Grannes, Susanne Bratli (A)
- Political Adviser for Kosmo, Jørgen 04/11/1996–17/10/1997
Halvorsen, Audun (H)
- Political Adviser for Søreide, Ine M. Eriksen 01/09/2016–22/09/2017
- Political Adviser (leave of absence) for Søreide, Ine M. Eriksen 11/07/2016–31/08/2016
- Political Adviser for Søreide, Ine M. Eriksen 16/10/2013–10/07/2016
Helseth, Anders Nikolai (A)
- Private Secretary for Fostervoll, Alv Jakob 01/11/1973–13/04/1975
Hovengen, Inger Johanne (A)
- Political Adviser for Kosmo, Jørgen 20/03/1995–03/05/1996
Kvisberg, Torunn E. (KrF)
- Political Adviser for Fjærvoll, Dag Jostein 25/01/1999–15/03/1999
Larsen, Leonard (A)
- Private Secretary for Stoltenberg, Thorvald 04/02/1981–14/10/1981
- Private Secretary for Stoltenberg, Thorvald 29/10/1979–04/02/1981
Lied, Margrethe (H)
- Private Secretary for Ditlev-Simonsen, Per 30/10/1989–03/11/1990
Løkse, Egil (V)
- Private Secretary for Kleppe, Johan 29/11/1972–23/09/1973
Mathisen, Ragnhild (A)
- Political Adviser for Faremo, Grete 20/10/2009–23/10/2009
- Political Adviser (leave of absence) for Strøm-Erichsen, Anne-Grete 01/06/2009–01/10/2009
- Political Adviser for Strøm-Erichsen, Anne-Grete 21/10/2005–20/10/2009
Mosbakk, Kurt (A)
- Private Secretary for Harlem, Gudmund 26/02/1964–12/10/1965
Nilsen, Harry (A)
- Private Secretary for Hansen, Rolf 01/03/1976–31/01/1978
Ottesen, Atle (A)
- Political Adviser for Strøm-Erichsen, Anne-Grete 21/09/2012–31/03/2013
Øvrebotten, Norulv (A)
- Private Secretary for Holst, Johan Jørgen 26/05/1986–15/03/1988
Pedersen, Bård Glad (H)
- Political Adviser for Devold, Kristin Krohn 26/10/2001–01/01/2004
Pettersen, Ivan (H)
- Political Adviser (acting) for Devold, Kristin Krohn 24/01/2005–17/10/2005
Pettersen, Rolf (H)
- Private Secretary for Presthus, Rolf 25/04/1986–09/05/1986
- Private Secretary for Sjaastad, Anders C. 01/01/1986–25/04/1986
Raadim, Kathrine (A)
- Political Adviser (leave of absence) for Eide, Espen Barth 27/04/2012–21/09/2012
- Political Adviser for Eide, Espen Barth 11/11/2011–21/09/2012
- Political Adviser for Faremo, Grete 26/10/2009–11/11/2011
Radmann, Trine (V)
- Political Adviser for Løwer, Eldbjørg 01/04/1999–17/03/2000
Rørvik, Anne-Oddveig (A)
- Political Adviser (leave of absence) for Kosmo, Jørgen 09/01/1995–30/08/1995
- Political Adviser for Kosmo, Jørgen 29/11/1993–08/01/1995
Sand, Ingrid Nikoline (Sp)
- Political Adviser for Gram, Bjørn Arild 03/07/2023–
Stensønes, Malin (KrF)
- Political Adviser for Fjærvoll, Dag Jostein 30/10/1997–04/01/1999
Tresselt, Line (A)
- Political Adviser for Strøm-Erichsen, Anne-Grete 08/04/2013–16/10/2013
Utvåg, Johannes (H)
- Political Adviser for Bakke-Jensen, Frank 04/02/2019–14/10/2021
Vikanes, Marie Lamo (Sp)
- Political Adviser for Gram, Bjørn Arild 12/04/2022–20/06/2023
- Political Adviser for Enoksen, Odd Roger 14/10/2021–12/04/2022
Westby, Tonje (A)
- Political Adviser for Godal, Bjørn Tore 13/06/2000–19/10/2001
Ziolkowski, Marte (H)
- Political Adviser for Bakke-Jensen, Frank 20/10/2017–19/02/2019
- Political Adviser for Søreide, Ine M. Eriksen 22/09/2017–17/01/2018
- Political Adviser (acting) for Søreide, Ine M. Eriksen 01/08/2016–31/08/2016

Politicians

Ministers (60)

Political Advisors (35)