Secretary of War (Denmark)

The Secretary of War (Danish: Overkrigssekretær, lit. 'Supreme War Secretary') was from 1688 the administrative leader of the military in Denmark-Norway. In 1736, it was divided into separate offices for the Army and the Navy^[1] and was dissolved as part of Johann Friedrich Struensee's administrative reforms in 1770.

Secretary of War
Overkrigssekretær
Longest serving Carl von Holstein [da] August 1746–6 February 1763
Reports to	The King
Appointer	The King
Formation	1688
First holder	Jens Harboe [da]
Final holder	Frederik Christian Rosenkrantz (Army) Christian Conrad Danneskiold-Laurvig [da] (Navy)
Abolished	10 December 1770

List of office holders

Secretary of War

Danish: Overkrigssekretærer for Land- og Søetaten

No.	Portrait	Name (Born-Died)	Term of office			Monarch	Ref.
			Took office	Left office	Time in office
1		Jens Harboe [da] (1646–1709)	11 August 1688	28 August 1699	11 years	Christian V	–
2		Christian von Lente [da] (1649–1725)	28 August 1699	May 1710	10 years, 8 months	Frederick IV	–
3		Major general Valentin von Eickstedt [da] (1669–1718)	May 1710	3 May 1717	7 years	Frederick IV	–
4		Vice admiral Christian Carl Gabel [da] (1669–1718)	6 June 1717	18 October 1725	8 years, 4 months	Frederick IV	[2]
5		Major general Johan Christoph von Körbitzl [da] (?–1726)	October 1725	24 December 1726 †	1 year, 2 months	Frederick IV	–
6		Major general Ditlev Revenfeld [da] (1684–1746)	January 1727	October 1730	3 years, 9 months	Frederick IV	–
7		General Poul Vendelbo Løvenørn (1686–1740)	October 1730	23 November 1735	5 years, 1 month	Christian VI	–

Secretary of War for the Army

Danish: Overkrigssekretærer for Landetaten

No.	Portrait	Name (Born-Died)	Term of office			Monarch	Ref.
			Took office	Left office	Time in office
1		General Poul Vendelbo Løvenørn (1686–1740)	23 November 1735	27 February 1740	4 years, 3 months	Christian VI	–
2		General Michael Numsen [da] (1686–1757)	27 February 1740	August 1746	6 years, 5 months	Christian VI	–
3		General Count Christian Lerche [da] (1692–1757)	August 1746	1753	6–7 years	Frederick V	–
4		Field Marshal Count Werner von der Schulenburg [da] (1679–1755)	1753	7 September 1755 †	1–2 years	Frederick V	–
5		General Count Conrad Ahlefeldt [da] (1707–1791)	September 1755	October 1763	8 years, 1 month	Frederick V	–
6		Field marshal Claude Louis, Comte de Saint-Germain (1707–1778)	28 October 1763	28 January 1766	2 years, 3 months	Frederick V	–
7		Frederik Christian Rosenkrantz (1707–1778)	28 January 1766	10 December 1770	4 years, 10 months	Christian VII	–

Secretary of War for the Navy

Danish: Overkrigssekretærer for Søetaten

No.	Portrait	Name (Born-Died)	Term of office			Monarch	Ref.
			Took office	Left office	Time in office
1		General-Admiral-Lieutenant Frederik Danneskiold-Samsøe (1703–1770)	23 November 1735	August 1746	10 years, 8 months	Christian VI	[3]
2		Carl von Holstein [da] (1700–1763)	August 1746	6 February 1763 †	16 years, 6 months	Frederick V	–
3		Frederik Christian Rosenkrantz (1707–1778)	February 1763	January 1766	2 years, 11 months	Frederick V	–
(1)		General-Admiral-Lieutenant Frederik Danneskiold-Samsøe (1703–1770)	25 August 1766	26 October 1767	1 year, 2 months	Christian VII	[4]
4		Admiral Christian Conrad Danneskiold-Laurvig [da] (1723–1783)	28 October 1767	18 September 1770	2 years, 10 months	Christian VII	[5]