Theodor Blank

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Theodor Blank (born September 19, 1905 in Elz an der Lahn; died May 14, 1972 in Bonn) was a German politician of the CDU. He was one of the founders of the CDU in 1945, when World War II had ended.

From 1949 to 1972 he was a member of the German Bundestag, in which he served from 1965 to 1969 as deputy chief of CDU/CSU-Bundestagsfraktion.

From 1950 to 1955 he lead the "Office Blank", officially responsible for affairs relating to the Allied occupying troops, but in reality mainly charged by Chancellor Konrad Adenauer with covertly preparing the re-establishment of a German armed force. In 1954, opponents of the rearmament prevented him from speaking to public assemblies by yelling and shouting, and lightly wounded him in one instance. After the rearmament was official, he served as the first postwar Defence Minister of Germany from 1955 to 1956 and as Minister of Labour and Social Affairs from 1957 to 1965.

Preceded by (none)

Federal Minister of Defence (Germany) 1955 – 1956

Succeeded by Franz-Josef Strauss