Minister of Defence
On 28 October 2009, Dr. Karl-Theodor Freiherr zu Guttenberg was appointed Minister of Defence of the Federal Republic of Germany.
Dr. Karl-Theodor Freiherr zu Guttenberg, who has a doctorate in law, has been Federal Minister of Defence since 28 October 2009. He was a member of the previous cabinet as Federal Minister of Economics and Technology.
In peacetime, and in a state of tension, command of the Armed Forces is vested in the Federal Minister of Defence. It is only in a state of defence that the power of command over the Armed Forces is passed to the Federal Chancellor.
