A "Secretary of State for War" was one of the four specialised 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 Defence". After the Second World War, the War Ministry merged with the Ministry of the Marine, with a Minister of National Defence (from 1974 simply Minister of Defence) directing the entire military.
| 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 |
| 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 Berthaud |
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 Noullens |
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 Auguste 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 Defense)
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 |
