The minister of defence of Hungary is a member of the Hungarian cabinet and the head of the Ministry of Defence. The defence minister appoints the Chief of General Staff of the Hungarian Defence Forces. The current minister is Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky. The position was called People's Commissar of War during the Hungarian Soviet Republic in 1919 and Minister of War during two short periods of Hungarian history: at the time of the Hungarian Revolution of 1848 and during a very short chaotic term (less than two years) after World War I, when three political transformations took place.

Ministers of war (1848–1849)

Hungarian Kingdom (1848–1849)

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Hungarian State (1849)

Parties After the collapse of the Hungarian Revolution of 1848, the Hungarian Kingdom became an integral part of the Austrian Empire until 1867, when dual Austro-Hungarian Monarchy was created.

Ministers of defence (1867–1918)

From 1867 to 1918 there was a Honvédministerium responsible for the military of the Hungarian half of Austria-Hungary and a Ministry of Defence for the military of the Austrian half, along with a Ministry of War with responsibility for Austria-Hungary as a whole.

Hungarian Kingdom (1867–1918)

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Ministers of war (1918–1919)

Hungarian Kingdom (1918)

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Hungarian People's Republic (1918–1919)

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People's commissars of war (1919)

Hungarian Soviet Republic (1919)

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Counter-revolutionary governments (1919)

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Ministers of war (1919–1920)

Hungarian People's Republic (1919)

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Hungarian Republic (1919–1920)

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Ministers of defence (1920–present)

Hungarian Kingdom (1920–1946)

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Government of National Unity (1944–1945)

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Soviet-backed provisional governments (1944–1946)

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Hungarian Republic (1946–1949)

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Hungarian People's Republic (1949–1989)

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Hungarian Republic / Hungary (1989–present)

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