Herman Madsen

Herman Madsen
Minister of War
In office 24 July 1901 – 14 January 1905
Monarch	Christian IX
Prime Minister	Johan Henrik Deuntzer
Preceded by	Johan Gustav Frederik Schnack
Succeeded by	Office abolished
Personal details
Born	Vilhelm Herman Oluf Madsen (1844-04-11)11 April 1844 Copenhagen, Denmark
Died	14 June 1917(1917-06-14) (aged 73) Frederiksberg
Resting place	Garrison Cemetery
Political party	Venstre Reform Party
Spouse	Albertine Henriette Petersen
Children	Thorvald Madsen
Parent(s)	Jeppe Madsen (father) Johanne Christine Becker (mother)
Military service
Allegiance	Denmark
Branch/service	Royal Danish Army
Years of service	1859–1905
Rank	General
Battles/wars	Second War of Schleswig

Vilhelm Herman Oluf Madsen (11 April 1844 – 14 June 1917) was a Danish politician, minister, army officer, businessman and inventor who served as War Minister in the 1901–1905 Deuntzer Cabinet.

Career

Madsen began his military career in 1859 and served in the Second War of Schleswig of 1864 as a lieutenant. In 1896, at the rank of colonel, Madsen was responsible for the adoption of the Madsen machine gun by the Danish army in 1902 and widely exported. He also constructed the Madsen 20 mm anti-aircraft cannon.

As Minister of War in the Cabinet of J. H. Deuntzer from 1901 to 1905, he supported the Fortification of Copenhagen, which contributed to the conflict that led to the split of the Venstre Reform Party as the left wing of the party left the party in protest to form the Radikale Venstre. Madsen became a general in 1903 and was elected to the Folketing in 1909.

Personal life

Madsen was the father of the physician Thorvald Madsen. He was interested in mathematics and was the president of Danish Mathematical Society from 1903 to 1910.

Sources

• Bjørn A. Nielsen, Den danske hærs rekylgeværer : system V.H.O. Madsen og J.A.N. Rasmussen, Statens Forsvarshistoriske Museum, 2008. (Forsvarshistoriske skrifter, nr. 6).
• Article "Madsen, Vilhelm Herman Oluf", pp. 23–26, in: Dansk Biografisk Lexikon, 1. ed, vol. XI, 1897