The Romanian Minister of National Defence () is the minister responsible for the Ministry of National Defence and the Romanian Armed Forces.
List of officeholders Romania used the Julian calendar until 1919, but all dates are given in the Gregorian calendar. United Principalities (1861–1881)
Portrait Name Term of office Political party Cabinet Took office Left office Time in office Minister of War 1 PrinceIoan Grigore Ghicai 19 July 1861 29 September 1862 Independent CatargiuN. Kretzulescu I 2 GeneralIon Emanoil Florescui 30 August 1862 11 October 1863 Independent N. Kretzulescu I 3 General 12 October 1863 11 April 1864 Independent Kogălniceanu 4 General 12 April 1864 29 January 1866 Independent KogălniceanuBosianuN. Kretzulescu II 5 Colonel 30 January 1866 10 February 1866 Independent N. Kretzulescu II 6 MajorDimitrie Leccai 11 February 1866 10 May 1866 Independent Ghica I (1) PrinceIoan Grigore Ghicaii 11 May 1866 5 August 1866 Independent Catargiu IGhica II 7 ColonelNicolae Haralambie 6 August 1866 7 February 1867 Independent Ghica II 8 General 8 February 1867 23 May 1867 Independent Ghica IIC.A. Kretzulescu 9 General 24 May 1867 11 August 1868 Independent C.A. KretzulescuS. GolescuN. Golescu – Ion C. Brătianui 12 August 1868 15 November 1868 Independent N. Golescu 10 Colonel 16 November 1868 13 January 1869 Independent Ghica 11 GeneralGheorghe Manui 14 July 1869 17 December 1870 Independent GhicaGolescuEpureanu I 12 ColonelEustațiu Pencovici 18 December 1870 10 March 1871 Independent Ghica III 13 GeneralChristian Tell 11 March 1871 13 March 1871 Independent Catargiu II (2) GeneralIon Emanoil Florescuii 14 March 1871 26 April 1876 Independent Catargiu IIFlorescu I National Liberal Party 14 Generali 27 April 1876 1 April 1877 Independent Epureanu IIBrătianu I 15 GeneralAlexandru Cernati 2 April 1877 19 August 1877 National Liberal Party Brătianu I – Ion C. Brătianu 20 August 1877 17 March 1878 National Liberal Party Brătianu I (15) GeneralAlexandru Cernatii 19 March 1878 24 November 1878 National Liberal Party Brătianu I – Ion C. Brătianu 20 August 1877 17 March 1878 National Liberal Party Brătianu II 16 ColonelNicolae Dabija 8 January 1879 10 July 1879 Independent Brătianu II (6) MajorDimitrie Leccaii 11 July 1879 28 April 1880 National Liberal Party Brătianu III (14) Generalii 29 April 1880 8 June 1881 Independent Brătianu IIID. Brătianu
Kingdom of Romania (1881–1947)
Portrait Name Term of office Political party Cabinet Took office Left office Time in office Minister of War 1 Ion C. Brătianuii1 August 188222 June 1884 National Liberal Party Brătianu IV 2 GeneralȘtefan Fălcoianu23 June 188412 January 1886 Brătianu IV 3 GeneralAlexandru Anghelescu21 February 18864 November 1887 Brătianu IV (1) Ion C. Brătianuiii5 November 188723 March 1888 National Liberal Party Brătianu IV 4 GeneralConstantin Barozzi23 March 188811 November 1888 Rosetti I 5 GeneralGheorghe Manuii12 November 18884 November 1889 Rosetti IICatargiu III 6 GeneralMatei Vlădescu5 November 188920 February 1891 Manu 7 GeneralIacob Lahovaryi21 February 189121 February 1894 Florescu IICatargiu IV 8 Lascăr Catargiu 22 February 1894 11 June 1894 Conservative Party Catargiu IV 9 Constantin Poenaru 12 June 1894 3 October 1895 Catargiu IV 10 Constantin Budișteanu 4 October 1895 21 November 1896 Sturdza I 10 Constantin I. Stoicescu 21 November 1896 24 November 1896 Aurelian 11 GeneralAnton Berindei 25 November 1896 10 April 1899 AurelianSturdza II (7) GeneralIacob Lahovaryii 11 April 1899 13 February 1901 Cantacuzino ICarp I 12 D. A. Sturza 14 February 1901 21 December 1904 National Liberal Party Sturdza III (5) GeneralGheorghe Manuiii22 December 190411 March 1906 Cantacuzino II 13 GeneralAlexandru Averescu13 March 19063 March 1909 Sturdza IVI. I. C. Brătianu I 14 Toma Stelian4 March 190931 October 1909 I. I. C. Brătianu I 15 GeneralGrigore C. Crăiniceanu1 November 190928 December 1910 I. I. C. Brătianu I 16 Nicolae Filipescu29 December 191027 March 1912 Carp II 17 GeneralIoan Argetoianu29 March 191213 October 1912 Maiorescu I 18 GeneralConstantin Hârjeui14 October 19123 January 1914 Maiorescu II 19 Ion I. C. Brătianui4 January 191414 August 1916 National Liberal Party I. I. C. Brătianu III 20 Vintilă Brătianui15 August 19169 July 1917 National Liberal Party I. I. C. Brătianu III–IV (20) Vintilă Brătianuii9 July 191719 July 1917 National Liberal Party I. I. C. Brătianu IV 21 GeneralConstantin Iancovescu20 July 19175 March 1918 I. I. C. Brătianu IVAverescu I (18) GeneralConstantin Hârjeuii6 March 191823 October 1918 Marghiloman 22 GeneralEremia Grigorescu24 October 191828 November 1918 Coandă 23 GeneralArthur Văitoianu29 November 191826 September 1919 I. I. C. Brătianu V 24 GeneralIoan Rășcanui27 September 19191 March 1920 VăitoianuVaida-Voevod I 25 GeneralTraian Moșoiu2 March 192011 March 1920 (24) GeneralIoan Rășcanuii12 March 192015 December 1921 Vaida-Voevod IAverescu II 26 GeneralȘtefan Holban17 December 192118 January 1922 Ionescu (19) Ion I. C. Brătianuii19 January 192219 April 1922 National Liberal Party I. I. C. Brătianu VI 27 GeneralGheorghe Mărdărescu20 April 192229 March 1926 I. I. C. Brătianu VI 28 GeneralLudovic Mircescu30 March 19263 June 1927 Averescu III 29 GeneralPaul Angelescui4 June 19279 November 1928 ȘtirbeyI. I. C. Brătianu VIIV. I. C. Brătianu 30 GeneralHenri Cihoski10 November 19284 April 1930 Maniu I 31 Iuliu Maniu5 April 193013 April 1930 National Peasants' Party Maniu I 32 GeneralNicolae Condeescu14 April 193018 April 1931 Maniu IMironescu IManiu IIMironescu II 33 GeneralAmza C. Ștefănescu19 April 193111 August 1932 IorgaVaida-Voevod II 34 GeneralNicolae Samsonovici11 August 193214 November 1933 Vaida-Voevod IIIManiu IIIVaida-Voevod IV 35 GeneralNicolae Uica14 November 19331 June 1934 DucaAngelescuTătărăscu I 36 Gheorghe Tătărescu 1 June 1934 26 July 1934 National Liberal Party Tătărăscu I (29) GeneralPaul Anghelescuii 27 July 1934 8 August 1937 Tătărăscu I–II–III 37 Aviation GeneralRadu Irimescu28 August 19374 September 1937 Tătărăscu III 38 Division GeneralConstantin Ilasievici4 September 193727 December 1937 Tătărăscu III–IV 39 Division GeneralIon Antonescui28 December 193730 March 1938 Mil. GogaCristea I 40 Division GeneralGheorghe Argeșanu30 March 193813 October 1938 Cristea II 41 Division GeneralNicolae Ciupercă13 October 19381 February 1939 Cristea II 42 Armand Călinescu1 February 193921 September 1939 Cristea IIICălinescu 43 Army Corps GeneralIoan Ilcuș21 September 19394 July 1940 ArgeșanuArgetoianuTătărăscu V 44 GeneralConstantin Nicolescu4 July 19404 September 1940 Gigurtu (39) Division GeneralIon Antonescuii4 September 194027 January 1941 Mil. Antonescu I–II 45 GeneralIosif Iacobici27 January 194122 September 1941 Antonescu III (39) Division GeneralIon Antonescuiii22 September 194123 January 1942 Mil. Antonescu III 46 GeneralConstantin Pantazi23 January 194223 August 1944 Mil. Antonescu III 47 Army Corps GeneralIoan-Mihai Racoviță24 August 19445 November 1944 Mil. Sănătescu I 48 Army Corps GeneralConstantin Sănătescu6 November 19446 December 1944 Mil. Sănătescu II 49 Army Corps GeneralIon Negulescu7 December 19446 March 1945 Mil. Rădescu 50 Army Corps GeneralConstantin Vasiliu-Rășcanu7 March 194529 November 1946 Mil. Groza I 51 Army Corps GeneralMihail Lascăr29 November 194627 December 1947 Mil. Groza II
Socialist Republic of Romania (1947–1989)
Portrait Name Term of office Political party Cabinet Took office Left office Time in office Minister of War 1 Army GeneralEmil Bodnăraș 27 December 1947 3 October 1955 Romanian Workers' Party Groza II–III–IVGheorghiu-Dej I–II Minister of National Defence 2 Army GeneralLeontin Sălăjan 3 October 1955 28 August 1966 Romanian Communist Party Stoica I–IIMaurer I–II–III 3 Army GeneralIoan Ioniță 29 October 1966 16 June 1976 Romanian Communist Party Maurer III–IV–VMănescu I–II 4 Colonel GeneralIoan Coman 16 June 1976 29 March 1980 Romanian Communist Party Mănescu IIVerdeț I 5 Colonel GeneralConstantin Olteanu 29 March 1980 16 December 1985 Romanian Communist Party Verdeț IDăscălescu I–II 6 Colonel GeneralVasile Milea 16 December 1985 22 December 1989 † Romanian Communist Party Dăscălescu II – Army GeneralVictor Stănculescu 22 December 1989 26 December 1989 Romanian Communist Party Dăscălescu II
Romania (1989–present)
Portrait Name Term of office Political party Cabinet Took office Left office Time in office Minister of National Defence 1 Army GeneralNicolae Militaru26 December 198916 February 1990 Mil. Roman I 2 Army GeneralVictor Stănculescu16 February 199029 April 1991 Mil. Roman I–II 3 Lieutenant GeneralNiculae Spiroiu30 April 19916 March 1994 Mil. Roman IIIStolojanVăcăroiu 4 6 March 199412 December 1996 Social Democratic PartyVăcăroiu 5 Victor Babiuc12 December 199611 February 1998 Democratic Party Ciorbea 6 12 February 1998 16 April 1998 Christian Democratic National Peasants' Party Ciorbea (5) Victor Babiuc 16 April 1998 13 March 2000 Democratic Party VasileIsărescu 7 Sorin Frunzăverdei 13 March 2000 28 December 2000 Democratic PartyIsărescu 8 Ioan Mircea Pașcu 28 December 2000 28 December 2004 Party of Social Democracy in RomaniaSocial Democratic Party Năstase 9 Teodor Atanasiu 28 December 2004 25 October 2006 National Liberal Party Tăriceanu I Minister of Defence (7) Sorin Frunzăverdeii 25 October 2006 10 April 2007 Democratic Party Tăriceanu I 10 Teodor Meleșcanu 10 April 2007 22 December 2008 National Liberal Party Tăriceanu II Minister of National Defence 11 Mihai Stănișoară 22 December 2008 23 December 2009 Democratic Liberal Party Boc I 12 Gabriel Oprea 23 December 2009 9 February 2012 Indep./UNPR Boc II 9 February 2012 7 May 2012 Ungureanu 13 7 May 2012 20 December 2012 National Liberal Party Ponta I 14 Mircea Dușa 21 December 2012 17 November 2015 Social Democratic Party Ponta II–III–IV 15 Mihnea Motoc 17 November 2015 4 January 2017 Independent Cioloș 16 Gabriel-Beniamin Leș 4 January 2017 29 June 2017 Social Democratic Party Grindeanu 17 29 June 2017 5 September 2017 Social Democratic Party Tudose 18 Mihai Fifor 12 September 2017 20 November 2018 Social Democratic Party TudoseDăncilă (16) Gabriel-Beniamin Leș 20 November 2018 4 November 2019 Social Democratic Party Dăncilă 19 Nicolae Ciucă 4 November 2019 25 November 2021 Independent Orban I–II 20 Vasile Dîncu 25 November 2021 24 October 2022 Social Democratic Party Ciucă – Nicolae Ciucă 24 October 2022 1 November 2022 Independent Ciucă 21 Angel Tîlvăr 1 November 2022 23 June 2025 Social Democratic Party CiucăCiolacu I–II 22 Ionuț Moșteanu 23 June 2025 28 November 2025 Save Romania Union Bolojan – Radu-Dinel Miruță 28 November 2025 23 December 2025 Save Romania Union Bolojan 23 Radu-Dinel Miruță 23 December 2025 Incumbent Save Romania Union Bolojan
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