Dutch Ministry of Defence
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The Ministry of Defence ( nl, Ministerie van Defensie; MinDef) is the Dutch Ministry responsible for the armed forces of the Netherlands and Veterans Affairs. The Ministry was created in 1813 as the "Ministry of War" and in 1928 was combined with the "Ministry of the Navy". After
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...
in the ministries were separated again, in this period the Minister of War and Minister of the Navy were often the same person and the State secretary for the Navy was responsible for daily affairs of the
Royal Dutch Navy The Royal Netherlands Navy ( nl, Koninklijke Marine, links=no) is the naval force of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. During the 17th century, the navy of the Dutch Republic (1581–1795) was one of the most powerful naval forces in the world a ...
. In 1959 the ministries were merged. The Ministry is headed by the Minister of Defence, currently
Kajsa Ollongren Jkvr. Karin Hildur "Kajsa" Ollongren (; ; born 28 May 1967) is a Dutch politician serving as the Netherlands' Minister of Defence since 10 January 2022. A member of the Democrats 66 (D66), she previously served as Minister of the Interior and ...
, assisted by the Chief of the Defence of the Netherlands, Onno Eichelsheim since April 2021.


Responsibilities

The ministry has the responsibility for: * protecting the territory of the Kingdom of the Netherlands (which includes the Netherlands, Curaçao,
Sint Maarten Sint Maarten () is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in the Caribbean. With a population of 41,486 as of January 2019 on an area of , it encompasses the southern 44% of the divided island of Saint Martin, while the nort ...
and Aruba) and her allies; * protecting and enhancing the international legal system and stability; * supporting civil authorities in maintaining order, in case of emergencies and in giving humanitarian aid, both national and international.


Organisation

The ministry consists of the Minister (
Kajsa Ollongren Jkvr. Karin Hildur "Kajsa" Ollongren (; ; born 28 May 1967) is a Dutch politician serving as the Netherlands' Minister of Defence since 10 January 2022. A member of the Democrats 66 (D66), she previously served as Minister of the Interior and ...
) and the State secretary of Defence ( Christophe van der Maat), the so-called Central Staff, the Netherlands Armed Forces and two supporting organisations. The Central Staff of the ministry is led by the Secretary-General, the highest civil servant. The most important elements of the Central Staff are: * several directorates for policy, personnel, materiel and finance * the Defence Staff * the Defence Audit Service * the Security Authority * the Military Intelligence and Security Service * the Military Aviation Authority The highest military official is the Chief of Defence ( nl, Commandant der Strijdkrachten). He is a four-star general or admiral and controls the branches of the armed forces, which are organised in three operational commands: * the Royal Netherlands Navy Command; * the Royal Netherlands Army Command; * the Royal Netherlands Air Force Command. The fourth branch of service, the Royal Netherlands Constabulary, falls directly under the Secretary-General. The armed forces are supported by two civil organisations that reside under the Ministry of Defence: * a Support Command ( nl, Commando DienstenCentra); and * the Defence Materiel Organization ( nl, Defensie Materieel Organisatie). The ministry employs over 70,000 civil and military personnel.


See also

*
List of Ministers of Defence of the Netherlands The Minister of Defence ( nl, Minister van Defensie) is the head of the Ministry of Defence and a member of the Cabinet and the Council of Ministers. The incumbent minister is Kajsa Ollongren of the Democrats 66 (D66) party who has been in offic ...
*
Defence diplomacy In international politics, defence diplomacy refers to the pursuit of foreign policy objectives through the peaceful employment of defence resources and capabilities. Origin of concept Defence diplomacy as an organizing concept for defence-relate ...


References


External links

*
Ministerie van Defensie
(Rijksoverheid) {{DEFAULTSORT:Ministry of Defence (Netherlands)
Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Netherl ...
Defence Defense or defence may refer to: Tactical, martial, and political acts or groups * Defense (military), forces primarily intended for warfare * Civil defense, the organizing of civilians to deal with emergencies or enemy attacks * Defense indus ...
Military of the Netherlands Ministries established in 1813
Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Netherl ...