One of France's Secretaries of State under the ancien régime was entrusted with control of the French Navy (Secretary of State of the Navy (France). In 1791, this title was changed to Minister of the Navy. Before the 1890s, this position also usually had responsibility for France's colonies, and was usually known as Minister of the Navy and Colonies. In 1947 the naval ministry was absorbed into the Ministry of Defence.
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The two French royal fleets (the Ponant fleet and Levant fleet) were put under the control of Colbert from 1662, whilst he was "intendant des finances" and "minister of state" -- but not "secretary of state" : he only became secretary of state in 1669 after having bought his way into the post. From then on, right up to the French Revolution, a secretary of state had responsibility for the fleet.
The secretary of state was responsible for the administration of both the navy (the "marine royale") and civilian (merchant marine) fleets, and for all France's ports, arsenals, consulates, and colonies, as well as the guardianship for all her commercial companies.
To his two original offices (the bureau du Ponant and bureau du Levant) other services were added over time:
These different offices and departments were regrouped into four super-departments by marshal de Castries in 1786.
| Secretary | Began | Ended |
| Côme Clausse, seigneur de Marchaumont | 14 September 1547 | 1558 |
| Florimond II Robertet, seigneur de Fresnes | 1558 | October 1567 |
| Claude de l’Aubespine, seigneur d’Hauterive | 1 April 1547 | 1567 |
| Jacques Bourdin, seigneur de Villeines | 1558 | 1567 |
| Martin Ruze, seigneur de Beaulieu | 15 September 1588 | 6 November 1613 |
| Antoine de Loménie, seigneur de la Ville aux Clercs | 7 November 1613 | 10 August 1615 (he left the post on this date, but retained the precedence and the functions) |
| Henri Auguste de Loménie, seigneur de la Ville aux Clercs | 13 July 1615 | February 1643 |
| Henry de Guénegaud, marquis de Plancy | 23 March 1643 | 1662 |
| Hugues de Lionne, marquis de Fresne | 4 February 1662 | 1669 |
| Jean-Baptiste Colbert | 7 March 1669 | 1683 |
| Jean-Baptiste Colbert, Marquis de Seignelay | September 1683 | 3 November 1690 |
| Louis Phélypeaux, comte de Pontchartrain | 7 November 1683 | 6 September 1699 |
| Jérôme Phélypeaux, comte de Pontchartrain | 6 September 1699 | 1 October 1715 |
| Louis Alexandre de Bourbon, comte de Toulouse and Victor Marie d'Estrées (Presidents of the Council of Marine) | 1 October 1715 | 24 September 1718 |
| Joseph Jean Baptiste Fleuriau d'Armenonville | 24 September 1718 | 28 February 1722 |
| Charles Jean-Baptiste Fleuriau, comte de Morville | 28 February 1722 | 16 August 1723 |
| Jean-Frédéric Phélypeaux, comte de Maurepas | 16 August 1723 | 23 April 1749 |
| Antoine Louis Rouillé | 30 April 1749 | 24 July 1754 |
| Jean Baptiste de Machault D'Arnouville | 24 July 1754 | 1 February 1757 |
| François Marie Peyrenc de Moras | 1 February 1757 | 31 May 1758 |
| Claude Louis d'Espinchal, marquis de Massiac | 31 May 1758 | 31 October 1758 |
| Nicolas René Berryer | 31 October 1758 | 13 October 1761 |
| Étienne François, duc de Choiseul | 13 October 1761 | 10 April 1766 |
| César Gabriel de Choiseul-Chevigny, duc de Praslin | 10 April 1766 | 24 December 1770 |
| Joseph Marie Terray | 24 December 1770 | 9 April 1771 |
| Pierre Étienne Bourgeois de Boynes | 9 April 1771 | 20 July 1774 |
| Anne Robert Jacques Turgot | 20 July 1774 | 24 August 1774 |
| Antoine de Sartine | 24 August 1774 | 13 October 1780 |
| Charles Eugène Gabriel de La Croix, marquis de Castries | 13 October 1780 | 24 August 1787 |
| Armand Marc, comte de Montmorin Saint-Hérem | 25 August 1787 | 24 December 1787 |
| César Henri, comte de La Luzerne | 24 December 1787 | 13 July 1789 |
| Arnaud de Laporte | 13 July 1789 | 16 July 1789 |
| César Henri, comte de La Luzerne | 16 July 1789 | 26 October 1790 |
| Minister | Began | Ended |
| Charles Pierre Claret de Fleuriau | 26 October 1790 | 17 May 1791 |
| Antoine Jean Marie Thévenard | 17 May 1791 | 18 September 1791 |
| Claude Antoine Valdec de Lessart | 18 September 1791 | 7 October 1791 |
| Antoine François, comte Bertrand de Molleville | 7 October 1791 | 16 March 1792 |
| Jean de Lacoste | 16 March 1792 | 21 July 1792 |
| François Joseph de Gratet, vicomte Dubouchage | 21 July 1792 | 10 August 1792 |
| Gaspard Monge | 10 August 1792 | 10 April 1793 |
| Jean Dalbarade (commissioner from 20 April 1794) | 10 April 1793 | 2 July 1795 |
| Jean-Claude Redon de Beaupréau (commissioner) | 2 July 1795 | 4 November 1795 |
| Laurent Jean François Truguet | 4 November 1795 | 15 July 1797 |
| Georges René Le Peley de Pléville | 15 July 1797 | 27 April 1798 |
| Eustache Bruix | 27 April 1798 | 4 March 1799 |
| Charles Maurice de Talleyrand-Périgord | 7 March 1799 | 2 July 1799 |
| Marc Antoine Bourdon de Vatry | 2 July 1799 | 22 November 1799 |
| Pierre Alexandre Laurent Forfait | 22 November 1799 | 3 October 1801 |
| Denis Decrès | 3 October 1801 | 1 April 1814 |
| Pierre Victor, baron Malouet | 3 April 1814 | 7 September 1814 |
| Jacques, comte Beugnot | 7 September 1814 | 20 March 1815 |
| Denis, duc Decrès | 20 March 1815 | 7 July 1815 |
| François Arnail, comte de Jaucourt | 9 July 1815 | 26 September 1815 |
| François Joseph de Gratet, vicomte Dubouchage | 26 September 1815 | 23 June 1817 |
| Laurent, Marquis de Gouvion Saint-Cyr | 23 June 1817 | 12 September 1817 |
| Mathieu Louis, comte Molé | 12 September 1817 | 29 December 1818 |
| Pierre Barthélemy, baron Portal | 29 December 1818 | 14 December 1821 |
| Aimé, duc de Clermont-Tonnerre | 14 December 1821 | 4 August 1824 |
| Christophe, comte de Chabrol de Crouzol | 4 August 1824 | 3 March 1828 |
| Jean-Guillaume, baron Hyde de Neuville | 3 March 1828 | 8 August 1829 |
| Henri Gauthier, comte de Rigny | 8 August 1829 | 23 August 1829 |
| Charles Lemercier de Longpré, baron d'Haussez | 23 August 1829 | 31 July 1830 |
| Henri Gauthier, comte de Rigny | 31 July 1830 | 11 August 1830 |
| Horace François Bastien, baron Sébastiani | 11 August 1830 | 17 November 1830 |
| Antoine, comte d'Argout | 17 November 1830 | 13 March 1831 |
| Henri Gauthier, comte de Rigny | 13 March 1831 | 4 April 1834 |
| Albin Reine, baron Roussin | 4 April 1834 | 19 May 1834 |
| Louis Léon, comte Jacob | 19 May 1834 | 10 November 1834 |
| Charles, baron Dupin | 10 November 1834 | 18 November 1834 |
| Victor Guy, baron Duperré | 18 November 1834 | 6 September 1836 |
| Claude Charles Marie du Campe de Rosamel | 6 September 1836 | 31 March 1839 |
| Jean Marguerite Tupinier | 31 March 1839 | 12 May 1839 |
| Victor Guy, baron Duperré | 12 May 1839 | 1 March 1840 |
| Albin Reine, baron Roussin | 1 March 1840 | 29 October 1840 |
| Victor Guy, baron Duperré | 29 October 1840 | 7 February 1843 |
| Albin Reine, baron Roussin | 7 February 1843 | 24 July 1843 |
| Ange René Armand, baron de Mackau | 24 July 1843 | 9 May 1847 |
| Louis Napoléon Lannes, duc de Montebello | 9 May 1847 | 24 February 1848 |
| François Arago | 24 February 1848 | 11 May 1848 |
| Joseph Grégoire Cazy | 11 May 1848 | 28 June 1848 |
| Jules Bastide | 28 June 1848 | 17 July 1848 |
| Raymond Verninac de Saint-Maur | 17 July 1848 | 20 December 1848 |
| Alexandre César Victor Charles Destutt de Tracy | 20 December 1848 | 31 October 1849 |
| Joseph Romain-Desfossés | 31 October 1849 | 9 January 1851 |
| Théodore Ducos | 9 January 1851 | 24 January 1851 |
| Auguste Nicolas Vaillant | 24 January 1851 | 10 April 1851 |
| Justin de Chasseloup-Laubat | 10 April 1851 | 26 October 1851 |
| Hippolyte Fortoul | 26 October 1851 | 3 December 1851 |
| Théodore Ducos | 3 December 1851 | 17 April 1855 |
| Ferdinand Hamelin | 19 April 1855 | 24 November 1860 |
| Justin de Chasseloup-Laubat | 24 November 1860 | 20 January 1867 |
| Charles Rigault de Genouilly | 20 January 1867 | 4 September 1870 |
| Maurice Fourichon | 4 September 1870 | 19 February 1871 |
| Louis Marie Alexis Pothuau | 19 February 1871 | 25 May 1873 |
| Charles Dompierre d'Hormoy | 25 May 1873 | 22 May 1874 |
| Louis Raymond de Montaignac de Chauvance | 22 May 1874 | 9 March 1876 |
| Martin Fourichon | 9 March 1876 | 17 May 1877 |
| Albert Gicquel des Touches | 17 May 1877 | 23 November 1877 |
| Albert Roussin | 23 November 1877 | 13 December 1877 |
| Louis Marie Alexis Pothuau | 13 December 1877 | 4 February 1879 |
| Jean Bernard Jauréguiberry | 4 February 1879 | 29 January 1880 |
| Georges Charles Cloué | 29 January 1880 | 14 November 1881 |
| Auguste Gougeard (Marine only) | 14 November 1881 | 30 January 1882 |
| Jean Bernard Jauréguiberry | 30 January 1882 | 29 January 1883 |
| François de Mahy | 31 January 1883 | 31 February 1883 |
| Charles Brun | 31 February 1883 | 9 August 1883 |
| Alexandre Louis François Peyron | 9 August 1883 | 6 April 1885 |
| Charles Eugène Galiber | 6 April 1885 | 7 January 1886 |
| Théophile Aube | 7 January 1886 | 30 May 1887 |
| Édouard Barbey | 30 May 1887 | 12 December 1887 |
| François de Mahy | 12 December 1887 | 5 January 1888 |
| Jules François Émile Krantz | 5 January 1888 | 22 February 1889 |
| Benjamin Jaurès | 22 February 1889 | 13 March 1889 |
| Jules François Émile Krantz (Marine only) | 19 March 1889 | 10 November 1889 |
| Édouard Barbey (Marine only) | 10 November 1889 | 27 February 1892 |
| Godefroy Cavaignac (Marine only to 8 March 1892) | 27 February 1892 | 8 March 1892 |
| Auguste Burdeau | 8 March 1892 | 11 January 1893 |
| Minister | Began | Ended |
| Adrien, Barthélemy, Louis, Henri Rieunier | 12 January 1893 | 3 December 1893 |
| Auguste Alfred Lefèvre | 3 December 1893 | 30 May 1894 |
| Félix Faure | 30 May 1894 | 17 January 1895 |
| Armand Louis Charles Gustave Besnard | 17 January 1895 | 1 November 1895 |
| Édouard Locroy | 1 November 1895 | 29 April 1896 |
| Armand Louis Charles Gustave Besnard | 29 April 1896 | 28 June 1898 |
| Édouard Locroy | 28 June 1898 | 22 June 1899 |
| Jean-Marie de Lanessan | 22 June 1899 | 7 June 1902 |
| Charles Camille Pelletan | 7 June 1902 | 24 January 1905 |
| Gaston Thomson | 24 January 1905 | 22 October 1908 |
| Alfred Picard | 22 October 1908 | 24 July 1909 |
| Augustin Boué de Lapeyrère | 24 July 1909 | 2 March 1911 |
| Théophile Delcassé | 2 March 1911 | 21 January 1913 |
| Pierre Baudin | 21 January 1913 | 9 December 1913 |
| Ernest Monis | 9 December 1913 | 20 March 1914 |
| Armand Gauthier de l'Aude | 20 March 1914 | 9 June 1914 |
| Émile Chautemps | 9 June 1914 | 13 June 1914 |
| Armand Gauthier de l'Aude | 13 June 1914 | 3 August 1914 |
| Victor Augagneur | 3 August 1914 | 29 October 1915 |
| Lucien Lacaze | 29 October 1915 | 2 August 1917 |
| Charles Chaumet | 2 August 1917 | 16 November 1917 |
| Georges Leygues | 16 November 1917 | 20 January 1920 |
| Adolphe Landry | 20 January 1920 | 16 January 1921 |
| Gabriel Guist'hau | 16 January 1921 | 15 January 1922 |
| Flaminius Raiberti | 15 January 1922 | 29 March 1924 |
| Maurice Bokanowski | 29 March 1924 | 9 June 1924 |
| Désiré Ferry | 9 June 1924 | 14 June 1924 |
| Jacques-Louis Dumesnil | 14 June 1924 | 17 April 1925 |
| Émile Borel | 17 April 1925 | 28 November 1925 |
| Georges Leygues | 28 November 1925 | 19 July 1926 |
| René Renoult | 19 July 1926 | 23 July 1926 |
| Georges Leygues | 23 July 1926 | 21 February 1930 |
| Albert Sarraut | 21 February 1930 | 2 March 1930 |
| Jacques-Louis Dumesnil | 2 March 1930 | 13 December 1930 |
| Albert Sarraut | 13 December 1930 | 27 January 1931 |
| Charles Dumont | 27 January 1931 | 20 February 1932 |
| Georges Leygues | 3 June 1932 | 2 September 1933 |
| Albert Sarraut | 6 September 1933 | 30 January 1934 |
| Louis de Chappedelaine | 30 January 1934 | 9 February 1934 |
| François Piétri | 9 February 1934 | 1 June 1936 |
| Alphonse Gasnier-Duparc | 1 June 1936 | 22 June 1937 |
| César Campinchi | 22 June 1937 | 18 January 1938 |
| William Bertrand | 18 January 1938 | 13 March 1938 |
| César Campinchi | 13 March 1938 | 16 June 1940 |
| François Darlan | 16 June 1940 | 18 April 1942 |
| Gabriel Auphan | 18 April 1942 | 18 November 1942 |
| Jean-Marie Charles Abrial | 18 November 1942 | 26 March 1943 |
| Henri Bléhaut | 26 March 1943 | 20 August 1944 |
| Louis Jacquinot | 9 November 1943 | 21 November 1945 |