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== Title and translations ==
== Title and translations ==
While official translations of the position is "Chief of Defence",<ref>{{cite web|title=The Chief of Defence|url=https://www.bmvg.de/en/organisation/the-chief-of-defence|website=bmvg.de|publisher=The German Government|accessdate=14 September 2017}}</ref> the German term "''Generalinspekteur''" – "Inspector General" – was specifically created to avoid the term of "''Generalstabschef''" ("Chief of [[German General Staff|General Staff]]") deemed historically compromised.{{citation needed|date=November 2018}} When the ''Bundeswehr'' was created in 1955, many traditional military terms were considered inappropriate after the German ''[[Wehrmacht]]'''s conduct in [[World War II]]. Therefore, the ''Bundeswehr'' has no "General Staff", but the "[[Army Command (Germany)|Army Command]]" ("''Kommando Heer''").
While official translations of the position is "Chief of Defence",<ref>{{cite web|title=The Chief of Defence|url=https://www.bmvg.de/en/organisation/the-chief-of-defence|website=bmvg.de|publisher=The German Government|access-date=14 September 2017}}</ref> the German term "''Generalinspekteur''" – "Inspector General" – was specifically created to avoid the term of "''Generalstabschef''" ("Chief of [[German General Staff|General Staff]]") deemed historically compromised.{{citation needed|date=November 2018}} When the ''Bundeswehr'' was created in 1955, many traditional military terms were considered inappropriate after the German ''[[Wehrmacht]]'''s conduct in [[World War II]]. Therefore, the ''Bundeswehr'' has no "General Staff", but the "[[Army Command (Germany)|Army Command]]" ("''Kommando Heer''").


== List of officeholders ==
== List of officeholders ==

Revision as of 15:34, 17 January 2021

Inspector General of the Bundeswehr
Generalinspekteur der Bundeswehr
Flag of the Inspector General of the Bundeswehr
Federal Ministry of Defence
StatusActive
AbbreviationGenInspBw
Member ofMinistry of Defence Executive Group
Reports toFederal Minister of Defence
PrecursorOberkommando der Wehrmacht
Formation1 June 1957
First holderGeneral Adolf Heusinger
Deputy Deputy General Inspector of the Bundeswehr
WebsiteOfficial Website

The Inspector General of the Bundeswehr (Template:Lang-de), officially translated as Chief of Defence, is the highest-ranking military post held by a commissioned officer in the Bundeswehr, the present-day armed forces of Germany.

All Inspectors General have been of the rank of a (four-star) general or admiral, and they head the Führungsstab der Streitkräfte, the German Defence Staff within the Federal Ministry of Defence, and is the direct military advisor to the Federal Minister of Defence who is the peacetime holder of the supreme command authority (Template:Lang-de). He is responsible for the overall military defense concept of the Bundeswehr, including the overall planning, preparation, as well as assessment of the whole Bundeswehr operations. [1]

Subordinate to the Inspector General are the commanders of the branches of the Bundeswehr, the Inspector of the Army, Inspector of the Air Force, and Inspector of the Navy, and the commanders of the Joint Support Service and Joint Medical Service.

Title and translations

While official translations of the position is "Chief of Defence",[2] the German term "Generalinspekteur" – "Inspector General" – was specifically created to avoid the term of "Generalstabschef" ("Chief of General Staff") deemed historically compromised.[citation needed] When the Bundeswehr was created in 1955, many traditional military terms were considered inappropriate after the German Wehrmacht's conduct in World War II. Therefore, the Bundeswehr has no "General Staff", but the "Army Command" ("Kommando Heer").

List of officeholders

No. Portrait Inspector General Took office Left office Time in office Defence branch Federal Minister of Defence
1
Adolf Heusinger
Heusinger, AdolfGeneral
Adolf Heusinger
(1897–1982)		1 June 195731 March 19613 years, 303 days
Army		Strauß, Franz JosefFranz Josef Strauß
(1966 – 1969)
2
Friedrich Foertsch
Foertsch, FriedrichGeneral
Friedrich Foertsch
(1900–1976)		1 April 196131 December 19632 years, 274 days
Army		Strauß, Franz JosefFranz Josef Strauß
(1966 – 1969)
Kai-Uwe von Hassel
(1963 – 1966)
3
Heinz Trettner
Trettner, HeinrichGeneral
Heinz Trettner
(1907–2006)		1 January 196425 August 19662 years, 236 days
Army		von Hassel, Kai-UweKai-Uwe von Hassel
(1963 – 1966)
4
Ulrich de Maizière
de Maizière, UlrichGeneral
Ulrich de Maizière
(1912–2006)		25 August 196631 March 19725 years, 219 days
Army		von Hassel, Kai-UweKai-Uwe von Hassel
(1963 – 1966)
Gerhard Schröder
(1966 – 1969)
Helmut Schmidt
(1969 – 1972)
5
Armin Zimmermann
Zimmermann, ArminAdmiral
Armin Zimmermann
(1917–1976)		1 April 197230 November 19764 years, 243 days
Navy		Leber, GeorgGeorg Leber
(1972 – 1978)
6
Harald Wust
Wust, HaraldGeneral
Harald Wust
(1921–2010)		21 December 197611 December 19781 year, 355 days
Air Force		Leber, GeorgGeorg Leber
(1972 – 1978)
7
Jürgen Brandt
Brandt, JürgenGeneral
Jürgen Brandt
(1922–2003)		12 December 197831 March 19834 years, 109 days
Army		Apel, HansHans Apel
(1978 – 1982)
Manfred Wörner
(1982 – 1988)
8
Wolfgang Altenburg
Altenburg, WolfgangGeneral
Wolfgang Altenburg
(born 1928)		1 April 198330 September 19863 years, 182 days
Army		Wörner, ManfredManfred Wörner
(1982 – 1988)
9
Dieter Wellershoff
Wellershoff, DieterAdmiral
Dieter Wellershoff
(1933–2005)		1 October 198630 September 19914 years, 364 days
Navy		Wörner, ManfredManfred Wörner
(1982 – 1988)
Rupert Scholz
(1988 – 1989)
Gerhard Stoltenberg
(1989 – 1992)
10
Klaus Naumann
Naumann, KlausGeneral
Klaus Naumann
(born 1939)		1 October 19918 February 19964 years, 130 days
Army		Stoltenberg, GerhardGerhard Stoltenberg
(1989 – 1992)
Volker Rühe
(1992 – 1998)
11
Hartmut Bagger
Bagger, HartmutGeneral
Hartmut Bagger
(born 1938)		8 February 199631 March 19993 years, 51 days
Army		Rühe, VolkerVolker Rühe
(1992 – 1998)
Rudolf Scharping
(1998 – 2002)
12
Hans-Peter von Kirchbach
von Kirchbach, Hans-PeterGeneral
Hans-Peter von Kirchbach
(born 1941)		1 April 199930 June 20001 year, 90 days
Army		Scharping, RudolfRudolf Scharping
(1998 – 2002)
13
Harald Kujat
Kujat, HaraldGeneral
Harald Kujat
(born 1942)		1 July 200030 June 20021 year, 364 days
Air Force		Scharping, RudolfRudolf Scharping
(1998 – 2002)
14
Wolfgang Schneiderhan
Schneiderhan, WolfgangGeneral
Wolfgang Schneiderhan
(born 1946)		1 July 200226 November 20097 years, 148 days
Army		Scharping, RudolfRudolf Scharping
(1998 – 2002)
Peter Struck
(2002 – 2005)
Franz Josef Jung
(2005 – 2009)
Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg
(2009 – 2011)
–
Johann-Georg Dora [de]
Dora, Johann-GeorgLieutenant General
Johann-Georg Dora [de]
(born 1948)
Acting		27 November 200921 January 201055 days
Air Force		zu Guttenberg, Karl-TheodorKarl-Theodor zu Guttenberg
(2009 – 2011)
15
Volker Wieker
Wieker, VolkerGeneral
Volker Wieker
(born 1954)		21 January 201019 April 20188 years, 88 days
Army		zu Guttenberg, Karl-TheodorKarl-Theodor zu Guttenberg
(2009 – 2011)
Thomas de Maizière
(2011 – 2013)
Ursula von der Leyen
(2013 – 2019)
16Zorn, EberhardGeneral
Eberhard Zorn
(born 1960)		19 April 2018Incumbent6 years, 223 days
Army		von der Leyen, UrsulaUrsula von der Leyen
(2013 – 2019)
Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer
(since 2019)

See also

References

  1. ^ https://www.bmvg.de/en/organisation/the-chief-of-defence
  2. ^ "The Chief of Defence". bmvg.de. The German Government. Retrieved 14 September 2017.
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