- Minister of Defense (France)
-
Current logo
The Minister of Defense and Veterans Affairs (Ministre de la Défense et des Anciens combattants) is the French government cabinet member charged with running the military of France.
A "Secretary of State for War" was one of the four specialized secretaries of state established in France in 1589. This Secretary of State was responsible for the Army. In 1791, the Secretary of State became "Minister of War". Along with the other ministerial positions, it was abolished in 1794 and restored the next year. In the 1930s, the position was frequently named "Minister of War and of National Defense". After the Second World War, the War Ministry merged with the Ministry of the Navy, absorbing the role of the Minister of the Navy and Colonies, with a Minister of National Defense (from 1974 to 2010 styled as Minister of Defense and from 2010 as Minister of Defense and Veterans Affairs) directing the entire military.
The current Minister of Defense and Veterans Affairs is Gérard Longuet.
Contents
Secretaries of State for War, 1643–1791
Secretary Began Ended Michel le Tellier 1643 1666 François Michel le Tellier, marquis de Louvois 1666 16 July 1691 Louis-François le Tellier de Louvois, marquis de Barbezieux 16 July 1691 5 January 1701 Michel Chamillart 5 January 1701 9 June 1709 Daniel Voysin de la Noiraye 9 June 1709 14 September 1715 Claude Louis Hector de Villars 1 October 1715 24 September 1718 Claude le Blanc 24 September 1718 1 July 1723 François Victor le Tonnelier de Breteuil 1 July 1723 19 June 1726 Claude le Blanc 19 June 1726 1728 Nicolas Prosper Bauyn d'Angervilliers July 1728 February 1740 François Victor le Tonnelier de Breteuil February 1740 7 January 1743 Marc Pierre de Voyer de Paulmy, comte d'Argenson 7 January 1743 1 February 1757 Marc-René de Voyer, marquis de Paulmy 1 February 1757 3 March 1758 Charles Louis Auguste Fouquet, duc de Belle-Isle 3 March 1758 27 January 1761 Étienne François, duc de Choiseul 27 January 1761 24 December 1770 Louis François, marquis de Monteynard 26 January 1771 27 January 1774 Emmanuel Armand de Vignerot du Plessis de Richelieu, duc d'Aiguillon 27 January 1774 2 June 1774 Louis Nicolas Victor de Félix d'Ollières, comte du Muy 5 June 1774 10 October 1775 Claude Louis, Comte de Saint-Germain 27 October 1775 27 September 1777 Alexandre Marie Léonor de Saint-Mauris de Montbarrey 27 September 1777 19 December 1780 Philippe Henri, marquis de Ségur 23 December 1780 29 August 1787 Louis Charles-Auguste le Tonnelier, baron de Breteuil 29 August 1787 23 September 1787 Athanase Louis Marie de Loménie, comte de Brienne 23 September 1787 30 November 1788 Louis Pierre de Chastenet, comte de Puységur 30 November 1788 13 July 1789 Victor François, Duc de Broglie 13 July 1789 16 July 1789 Jean-Frédéric de la Tour du Pin-Gouvernet 4 August 1789 16 November 1790 Louis le Bègue du Presle Duportail 16 November 1790 7 December 1791 Ministers of War, 1791–1940
Minister Began Ended Louis, comte de Narbonne-Lara 7 December 1791 9 March 1792 Pierre Marie de Grave 9 March 1792 9 May 1792 Joseph Marie Servan de Gerbey 9 May 1792 13 June 1792 Charles Dumouriez 13 June 1792 18 June 1792 Pierre August Lajard 18 June 1792 23 July 1792 Charles Franqueville d'Abancourt 23 July 1792 10 August 1792 Joseph Marie Servan de Gerbey 10 August 1792 3 October 1792 Pierre Henri Hélène Marie Lebrun-Tondu 3 October 1792 18 October 1792 Jean-Nicolas Pache 18 October 1792 4 February 1793 Pierre Riel de Beurnonville 4 February 1793 1 April 1793 Pierre Henri Hélène Marie Lebrun-Tondu 1 April 1793 4 April 1793 Jean Baptiste Noël Bouchotte 4 April 1793 20 April 1794 none 20 April 1794 3 November 1795 Jean-Baptiste Aubert-Dubayet 3 November 1795 8 February 1796 Claude Louis Petiet 8 February 1796 15 July 1797 Lazare Hoche 15 July 1797 22 July 1797 Barthélemy Louis Joseph Scherer 22 July 1797 21 February 1799 Louis Marie de Milet de Mureau 21 February 1799 2 July 1799 Jean-Baptiste Bernadotte 2 July 1799 14 September 1799 Edmond Louis Alexis Dubois-Crancé 14 September 1799 10 November 1799 Louis-Alexandre Berthier 11 November 1799 2 April 1800 Lazare Carnot 2 April 1800 8 October 1800 Louis-Alexandre Berthier, prince de Neuchâtel 8 October 1800 19 August 1807 Henri Clarke, duc de Feltre 19 August 1807 1 April 1814 Pierre-Antoine, comte Dupont de l'Étang 3 April 1814 3 December 1814 Nicolas Jean de Dieu Soult, duc de Dalmatie 3 December 1814 11 March 1815 Henri Clarke, duc de Feltre 11 March 1815 20 March 1815 Louis Nicolas Davout, duc d'Auerstadt 20 March 1815 7 July 1815 Laurent, comte de Gouvion de Saint-Cyr 7 July 1815 26 September 1815 Henri Clarke, duc de Feltre 26 September 1815 12 September 1817 Laurent, marquis de Gouvion de Saint-Cyr 12 September 1817 19 November 1819 Marie Victor Nicolas de Fay, marquis de La Tour-Maubourg 19 November 1819 14 December 1821 Claude Victor, duc de Bellune 14 December 1821 23 March 1823 Alexandre, vicomte Digeon 23 March 1823 15 April 1823 Claude Victor, duc de Bellune 15 April 1823 19 October 1823 Ange Hyacinthe Maxence, baron de Damas 19 October 1823 4 August 1824 Aimé, duc de Clermont-Tonnerre 4 August 1824 4 January 1828 Louis Victor de Blacquetot de Caux 4 January 1828 8 August 1829 Louis-Auguste-Victor, Count de Ghaisnes de Bourmont 8 August 1829 31 July 1830 Étienne Maurice, comte Gérard 31 July 1830 17 November 1830 Nicolas Jean de Dieu Soult, duc de Dalmatie 17 November 1830 18 July 1834 Étienne Maurice, comte Gérard 18 July 1834 10 November 1834 Simon Bernard 10 November 1834 18 November 1834 Édouard Adolphe Casimir Joseph Mortier, duc de Trévise 18 November 1834 12 March 1835 Henri Gauthier, comte de Rigny 12 March 1835 30 April 1835 Nicolas Joseph, marquis Maison 30 April 1835 6 September 1836 Simon Bernard 6 September 1836 31 March 1839 Amédée Louis Despans-Cubières 31 March 1839 12 May 1839 Antoine Virgile Schneider 12 May 1839 1 March 1840 Amédée Louis Despans-Cubières 1 March 1840 29 October 1840 Nicolas Jean de Dieu Soult, duc de Dalmatie 29 October 1840 10 November 1845 Alexandre Pierre Chevalier Moline de Saint-Yon 10 November 1845 9 May 1847 Camille Alphonse Trézel 9 May 1847 24 February 1848 Marie Alphonse Bedeau 24 February 1848 25 February 1848 Jacques Gervais, baron Subervie 25 February 1848 20 March 1848 Louis Eugène Cavaignac 20 March 1848 5 April 1848 François Arago 5 April 1848 11 May 1848 Jean-Baptiste Adolphe Charras 11 May 1848 17 May 1848 Louis Eugène Cavaignac 17 May 1848 28 June 1848 Louis Juchault de Lamoricière 28 June 1848 20 December 1848 Joseph Marcelin Rulhières 20 December 1848 31 October 1849 Alphonse Henri, comte d'Hautpoul 31 October 1849 22 October 1850 Jean-Paul, comte de Schramm 22 October 1850 9 January 1851 Auguste Étienne, comte Régnault de Saint-Jean d'Angély 9 January 1851 24 January 1851 Jacques Louis Randon 24 January 1851 26 October 1851 Jacques Leroy de Saint Arnaud 26 October 1851 11 March 1854 Jean-Baptiste Philibert Vaillant 11 March 1854 5 May 1859 Jacques Louis Randon 5 May 1859 20 January 1867 Adolphe Niel 20 January 1867 13 August 1869 Charles Rigault de Genouilly 13 August 1869 21 August 1869 Edmond Leboeuf 21 August 1869 20 July 1870 Pierre Charles Dejean 20 July 1870 10 August 1870 Charles Cousin-Montauban, Comte de Palikao 10 August 1870 4 September 1870 Adolphe Charles Le Flô 4 September 1870 5 June 1871 Ernest Courtot de Cissey 5 June 1871 25 May 1873 François Claude du Barail 29 May 1873 22 May 1874 Ernest Courtot de Cissey 22 May 1874 15 August 1876 Jean Auguste Berthaut 15 August 1876 23 November 1877 Gaétan de Grimaudet de Rochebouët 23 November 1877 13 December 1877 Jean-Louis Borel 13 December 1877 16 May 1878 Henri François Xavier Gresley 16 May 1878 28 December 1879 Jean Joseph Frédéric Adolphe Farre 28 December 1879 14 November 1881 Jean-Baptiste Campenon 14 November 1881 26 January 1882 Jean-Baptiste Billot 30 January 1882 29 January 1883 Jean Thibaudin 31 January 1883 9 October 1883 Jean-Baptiste Campenon 9 October 1883 3 January 1885 Jules Louis Lewal 3 January 1885 6 April 1885 Jean-Baptiste Campenon 6 April 1885 7 January 1886 Georges Boulanger 7 January 1886 30 May 1887 Théophile Adrien Ferron 30 May 1887 12 December 1887 François Auguste Logerot 12 December 1887 3 April 1888 Charles de Freycinet 3 April 1888 11 January 1893 Julien Léon Loizillon 11 January 1893 3 December 1893 Auguste Mercier 3 December 1893 24 January 1895 Émile Zurlinder 28 January 1895 1 November 1895 Godefroy Cavaignac 1 November 1895 29 April 1896 Jean-Baptiste Billot 29 April 1896 28 June 1898 Godefroy Cavaignac 28 June 1898 5 September 1898 Émile Zurlinden 5 September 1898 17 September 1898 Charles Chanoine 17 September 1898 25 October 1898 Édouard Locroy 25 October 1898 1 November 1898 Charles de Freycinet 1 November 1898 6 May 1899 Camille Krantz 6 May 1899 22 June 1899 Gaston, marquis de Gallifet 22 June 1899 20 May 1900 Louis André 20 May 1900 14 November 1904 Maurice Berteaux 14 November 1904 12 November 1905 Eugène Étienne 12 November 1905 25 October 1906 Georges Picquart 25 October 1906 24 July 1909 Jean Brun 24 July 1909 23 February 1911 Aristide Briand 23 February 1911 2 March 1911 Maurice Berteaux 2 March 1911 21 May 1911 François Louis Auguste Goiran 27 May 1911 27 June 1911 Adolphe Messimy 27 June 1911 14 January 1912 Alexandre Millerand 14 January 1912 12 January 1913 Albert Lebrun 12 January 1913 21 January 1913 Eugène Étienne 21 January 1913 9 December 1913 Joseph Noulens 9 December 1913 9 June 1914 Théophile Delcassé 9 June 1914 13 June 1914 Adolphe Messimy 13 June 1914 26 August 1914 Alexandre Millerand 26 August 1914 29 October 1915 Joseph Gallieni 29 October 1915 16 March 1916 Pierre Roques 16 March 1916 12 December 1916 Hubert Lyautey 12 December 1916 14 March 1917 Lucien Lacaze 14 March 1917 20 March 1917 Paul Painlevé 20 March 1917 16 November 1917 Georges Clemenceau 16 November 1917 20 January 1920 André Lefèvre 20 January 1920 16 December 1920 Flaminius Raiberti 16 December 1920 16 January 1921 Louis Barthou 16 January 1921 15 January 1922 André Maginot 15 January 1922 14 June 1924 Charles Nollet 14 June 1924 17 April 1925 Paul Painlevé 17 April 1925 29 October 1925 Édouard Daladier 29 October 1925 28 November 1925 Paul Painlevé 28 November 1925 23 June 1926 Adolphe Guillaumat 23 June 1926 19 July 1926 Paul Painlevé 19 July 1926 3 November 1929 André Maginot 3 November 1929 21 February 1930 René Besnard 21 February 1930 2 March 1930 André Maginot 2 March 1930 13 December 1930 Louis Barthou 13 December 1930 27 January 1931 André Maginot 27 January 1931 6 January 1932 André Tardieu 14 January 1932 20 February 1932 François Piétri 20 February 1932 3 June 1932 Joseph Paul-Boncour 3 June 1932 18 December 1932 Édouard Daladier 18 December 1932 30 January 1934 Jean Fabry 30 January 1934 4 February 1934 Joseph Paul-Boncour 4 February 1934 9 February 1934 Philippe Pétain 9 February 1934 8 November 1934 Louis Maurin 8 November 1934 7 June 1935 Jean Fabry 7 June 1935 24 January 1936 Louis Maurin 24 January 1936 4 June 1936 Édouard Daladier 4 June 1936 18 May 1940 Paul Reynaud 18 May 1940 16 June 1940 Maxime Weygand (National Defence)
and Louis Colson (War)16 June 1940 6 September 1940 Charles Huntziger 6 September 1940 11 August 1941 François Darlan 11 August 1941 18 April 1942 Eugène Bridoux 18 April 1942 20 August 1944 Commissioners for War, 1941–1944
Commissioner Began Ended Paul Legentilhomme 24 September 1941 9 November 1943 André Le Troquet 9 November 1943 4 April 1944 André Diethelm 4 April 1944 10 September 1944 Ministers of National Defense, 1944–1974
Minister Began Ended André Diethelm 10 September 1944 21 November 1945 Edmond Michelet 21 November 1945 24 June 1946 Félix Gouin 24 June 1946 16 December 1946 André Le Troquer 16 December 1946 22 January 1947 François Billoux 22 January 1947 4 May 1947 Yvon Delbos 4 May 1947 22 October 1947 Pierre-Henri Teitgen 22 October 1947 26 July 1948 René Mayer 26 July 1948 11 September 1948 Paul Ramadier 11 September 1948 28 October 1949 René Pleven 29 October 1949 12 July 1950 Jules Moch 12 July 1950 11 August 1951 Georges Bidault 11 August 1951 8 March 1952 René Pleven 8 March 1952 19 June 1954 Marie Pierre Koenig 19 June 1954 14 August 1954 Emmanuel Temple 14 August 1954 20 January 1955 Jacques Chevallier (National Defence)
and Maurice Bourgès-Maunoury (Armed Forces)20 January 1955 23 February 1955 Marie Pierre Koenig 23 February 1955 6 October 1955 Pierre Billotte 6 October 1955 1 February 1956 Maurice Bourgès-Maunoury 1 February 1956 13 June 1957 André Morice 13 June 1957 6 November 1957 Jacques Chaban-Delmas 6 November 1957 14 May 1958 Pierre de Chevigné 14 May 1958 1 June 1958 Charles de Gaulle (National Defence)
and Pierre Guillaumat (Armies)1 June 1958 8 January 1959 Pierre Guillaumat 1 June 1958 5 February 1960 Pierre Messmer 5 February 1960 22 June 1969 Michel Debré 22 June 1969 4 April 1973 Robert Galley 4 April 1973 28 May 1974 Ministers of Defense, 1974–2010
Minister Began Ended Jacques Soufflet 28 May 1974 1 February 1975 Yvon Bourges 1 February 1975 2 October 1980 Joël Le Theule 2 October 1980 14 December 1980 Robert Galley 22 December 1980 22 May 1981 Charles Hernu 22 May 1981 20 September 1985 Paul Quilès 20 September 1985 20 March 1986 André Giraud 20 March 1986 12 May 1988 Jean-Pierre Chevènement 12 May 1988 29 January 1991 Pierre Joxe 29 January 1991 9 March 1993 Pierre Bérégovoy 9 March 1993 29 March 1993 François Léotard 29 March 1993 18 May 1995 Charles Millon 18 May 1995 4 June 1997 Alain Richard 4 June 1997 7 May 2002 Michèle Alliot-Marie 7 May 2002 15 May 2007 Hervé Morin 18 May 2007 14 November 2010 Ministers of Defense and Veterans Affairs, 2010–present
Minister Began Ended Alain Juppé 14 November 2010 27 February 2011 Gérard Longuet 27 February 2011 Present See also
- Secretary of State of the Navy (France)
- Secretary of State for War (France)
- Minister of the Navy (France)
External links
Cabinet of France Prime Minister · Foreign Affairs · Interior · Overseas and Territorial Collectivities · Ecology · Transportation · Public Works · Economy, Industry and Employment · Defence · Justice · National Education · Higher Education and Research · Culture and Communication · Agriculture and Fishing · Tourism · Sea · Health · Youth Affairs and Sports · Budget, Public Accounting and Civil Servants · Labour, Social Relations and Solidarity · Housing and the City
Categories:- French Ministers of Defence
- Defence ministers
- Government ministries of France
- Lists of government ministers of France
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.
