Minister of War | |
---|---|
Ministre de la guerre | |
Ministry of War | |
Status | Abolished |
Member of | Government |
Reports to | Prime Minister |
Nominator | Prime Minister |
Appointer | President |
Term length | No fixed term |
Precursor | Secretary of State for War |
Formation | 25 May 1791 |
First holder | Louis Lebègue Duportail |
Final holder | Paul Coste-Floret |
Abolished | 31 October 1947 |
Succession | Minister of the Armed Forces |
The Minister of War (French : Ministre de la guerre) was the leader and most senior official of the French Ministry of War. It was a position in the Government of France from 1791 to 1947, replacing the position of Secretary of State for War and later being merged with the offices of Minister of the Navy and Minister of Air to form a new Minister of the Armed Forces.
In 1791, during the French Revolution, the Secretary of State for War became titled Minister of War. [1]
For most of its existence and until the beginning of the 20th century, ministers had always been Marshals or Generals. The Third Republic saw the gradual replacement of the military by civilian politicians to the office. It was also subject to the governmental instability of the regime, leading to ministers seating only for few days.[ citation needed ]
On 27 April 1791, the National Constituent Assembly issued a decree organizing the six ministries of Justice, Interior, Finances, War, Navy and Foreign Affairs. The decree was signed into law on 25 May 1791 by King Louis XVI. [2] This law determined the responsibilities of the minister, giving him full authority on the French Army and the sole provost duties of the National Gendarmerie. It also resolved that the minister would be responsible for the administration and finances of his department.
No. | Portrait | Name | Term | Cabinet | King | Ref. | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Took office | Left office | Time in office | |||||||
Ministry established | |||||||||
1 | Louis Lebègue Duportail | 25 May 1791 | 7 December 1791 | 196 days | Louis XVI | Louis XVI | [lower-alpha 1] | ||
2 | Louis de Narbonne-Lara | 7 December 1791 | 10 March 1792 | 94 days | [3] | ||||
3 | Pierre Marie de Grave | 10 March 1792 | 10 May 1792 | 61 days | [4] | ||||
4 | Joseph Servan | 10 May 1792 | 13 June 1792 | 34 days | [5] | ||||
5 | Charles du Périer Dumouriez | 13 June 1792 | 18 June 1792 | 5 days | [6] | ||||
6 | Pierre de Lajard | 18 June 1792 | 23 July 1792 | 35 days | [7] | ||||
7 | Charles d'Abancourt | 23 July 1792 | 10 August 1792 | 18 days | [8] | ||||
8 | Joseph Servan | 10 August 1792 | 22 September 1792 | 43 days | [9] |
No. | Portrait | Name | Term [lower-alpha 2] | Cabinet | Head of State | Ref. | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Took office | Left office | Time in office | |||||||
8 | Joseph Servan | 22 September 1792 1 Vendémiaire Year I | 3 October 1792 12 Vendémiaire Year I | 11 days | National Convention | National Convention | [lower-alpha 3] | ||
Interim by Pierre Lebrun-Tondu, Minister of Foreign Affairs, from 3 October 1792 to 24 January 1793. | |||||||||
9 | Jean-Nicolas Pache | 24 January 1793 5 Pluviôse Year I | 4 February 1793 16 Pluviôse Year I | 11 days | National Convention | National Convention | [10] | ||
10 | Pierre Riel de Beurnonville | 4 February 1793 16 Pluviôse Year I | 4 April 1793 15 Germinal Year I | 59 days | [11] | ||||
11 | Jean Bouchotte | 4 April 1793 15 Germinal Year I | 20 April 1794 1 Floréal Year II | 1 year, 16 days | [12] | ||||
All ministries suspended and replaced by the Executive Commissions between 20 April 1794 and 3 November 1795. | [13] | ||||||||
12 | Jean-Baptiste Aubert du Bayet | 3 November 1795 12 Brumaire Year IV | 8 February 1796 19 Pluviôse Year IV | 97 days | Directory | Directory | [14] | ||
13 | Claude Petiet | 8 February 1796 19 Pluviôse Year IV | 23 July 1797 5 Thermidor Year V | 1 year, 165 days | |||||
14 | Barthélemy Schérer | 23 July 1797 5 Thermidor Year V | 21 February 1799 3 Ventôse Year VII | 1 year, 213 days | [15] | ||||
15 | Louis de Milet de Mureau | 21 February 1799 3 Ventôse Year VII | 2 July 1799 14 Messidor Year VII | 131 days | [16] | ||||
16 | Jean-Baptiste Bernadotte | 2 July 1799 14 Messidor Year VII | 14 September 1799 28 Fructidor Year VII | 74 days | [17] | ||||
17 | Edmond Dubois-Crancé | 14 September 1799 28 Fructidor Year VII | 7 November 1799 16 Brumaire Year VIII | 54 days | [18] | ||||
18 | Louis-Alexandre Berthier | 7 November 1799 16 Brumaire Year VIII | 2 April 1800 12 Germinal Year VIII | 146 days | Consulate | Napoléon Bonaparte | [19] | ||
19 | Lazare Carnot | 2 April 1800 12 Germinal Year VIII | 5 May 1800 16 Floréal Year VIII | 33 days | [20] | ||||
Interim by Jean-Gérard Lacuée, Councillor of State, from 5 May to 8 October 1800. | [21] | ||||||||
20 | Louis-Alexandre Berthier | 8 October 1800 16 Vendémiaire Year IX | 18 May 1804 28 Floréal Year XII | 3 years, 223 days | Consulate | Napoléon Bonaparte | [22] |
No. | Portrait | Name | Term | Cabinet | Emperor | Ref. | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Took office | Left office | Time in office | |||||||
20 | Louis-Alexandre Berthier Prince de Neuchâtel | 18 May 1804 | 9 August 1807 | 3 years, 83 days | Napoléon | Napoleon I | [lower-alpha 4] | ||
21 | Henri Guillaume Clarke Duc de Feltre | 9 August 1807 | 20 November 1813 | 6 years, 103 days | [23] | ||||
22 | Pierre Daru Comte Daru | 20 November 1813 | 1 April 1814 | 132 days | [24] |
No. | Portrait | Name | Term | Cabinet | King | Ref. | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Took office | Left office | Time in office | |||||||
23 | Pierre Antoine Comte Dupont de l'Étang | 3 April 1814 | 26 November 1814 | 237 days | Provisional Government | Louis XVIII | [25] | ||
Restoration | |||||||||
24 | Jean-de-Dieu Soult Duc de Dalmatie | 26 November 1814 | 11 March 1815 | 105 days | [lower-alpha 5] | ||||
25 | Henri Guillaume Clarke Duc de Feltre | 11 March 1815 | 20 March 1815 | 9 days |
No. | Portrait | Name | Term | Cabinet | Emperor | Ref. | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Took office | Left office | Time in office | |||||||
26 | Louis Nicolas d'Avout Duc d'Auerstaedt, Prince d'Eckmühl | 20 March 1815 | 9 July 1815 | 111 days | Hundred Days | Napoleon I | [26] | ||
Executive Commission | Napoleon II |
No. | Portrait | Name | Term | Cabinet | King | Ref. | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Took office | Left office | Time in office | |||||||
27 | Laurent de Gouvion Marquis de Saint-Cyr | 9 July 1815 | 28 September 1815 | 81 days | Talleyrand | Louis XVIII | [27] | ||
28 | Henri Guillaume Clarke Duc de Feltre | 28 September 1815 | 12 September 1817 | 1 year, 349 days | de Richelieu I | ||||
29 | Laurent de Gouvion Marquis de Saint-Cyr | 12 September 1817 | 19 November 1819 | 2 years, 68 days | de Richelieu I Dessolles | [28] | |||
30 | Victor de Faÿ Marquis de La Tour-Maubourg | 19 November 1819 | 14 December 1821 | 2 years, 25 days | Decazes de Richelieu II | [29] | |||
31 | Claude Victor Perrin Duc de Bellune | 14 December 1821 | 23 March 1823 | 1 year, 99 days | de Villèle | [30] | |||
Interim by Alexandre Elisabeth Michel, Vicomte Digeon, from 23 March to 15 April 1823. | [31] | ||||||||
32 | Claude Victor Perrin Duc de Bellune | 15 April 1823 | 19 October 1823 | 187 days | de Villèle | Louis XVIII | |||
33 | Ange Hyacinthe Maxence Baron de Damas | 19 October 1823 | 4 August 1824 | 175 days | [32] | ||||
34 | Aimé Marie Gaspard Comte de Clermont-Tonnerre | 4 August 1824 | 4 January 1828 | 3 years, 268 days | [33] | ||||
Charles X | |||||||||
35 | Louis Victor de Caux Vicomte de Blacquetot | 4 January 1828 | 8 August 1829 | 1 year, 216 days | de Martignac | [34] | |||
36 | Louis Auguste Victor Comte de Ghaisnes de Bourmont | 8 August 1829 | 29 July 1830 | 355 days | de Polignac | [35] | |||
37 | Étienne Maurice Comte Gérard | 29 July 1830 | 17 November 1830 | 115 days | de Rochechouart de Mortemart Paris Municipal Commission Cabinet Provisional cabinet First cabinet | [36] | |||
Louis Philippe I | |||||||||
38 | Jean-de-Dieu Soult Duc de Dalmatie | 17 November 1830 | 18 July 1834 | 3 years, 243 days | Laffitte Casimir-Périer Soult I | [37] | |||
39 | Étienne Maurice Comte Gérard | 18 July 1834 | 10 November 1834 | 115 days | Gérard | ||||
40 | Simon Bernard Général-Baron | 10 November 1834 | 18 November 1834 | 8 days | Maret | ||||
41 | Édouard Mortier Duc de Trévise | 18 November 1834 | 12 March 1835 | 114 days | Mortier | ||||
Interim by Henri de Rigny, Minister without portfolio, from 12 March to 30 April 1835. | |||||||||
42 | Nicolas Joseph Marquis Maison | 30 April 1835 | 19 September 1836 | 1 year, 142 days | de Broglie Thiers I | Louis Philippe I | |||
Interim by Claude du Campe de Rosamel, Minister of Navy, from 6 September to 19 September 1836. | [38] | ||||||||
43 | Simon Bernard Général-Baron | 19 September 1836 | 31 March 1839 | 2 years, 193 days | Molé I – II | Louis Philippe I | [39] | ||
44 | Amédée Despans-Cubières | 31 March 1839 | 12 May 1839 | 42 days | Transitional cabinet | [40] | |||
45 | Antoine Schneider | 12 May 1839 | 1 March 1840 | 294 days | Soult II | [41] | |||
46 | Amédée Despans-Cubières | 1 March 1840 | 29 October 1840 | 242 days | Thiers II | [42] | |||
47 | Jean-de-Dieu Soult Duc de Dalmatie | 29 October 1840 | 10 November 1845 | 5 years, 12 days | Soult III | [43] | |||
48 | Alexandre Moline de Saint-Yon | 10 November 1845 | 9 May 1847 | 1 year, 180 days | [44] | ||||
49 | Camille Trézel | 9 May 1847 | 24 February 1848 | 291 days | Soult III Guizot | [45] |
No. | Portrait | Name | Term | Cabinet | President | Ref. | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Took office | Left office | Time in office | |||||||
50 | Alphonse Bedeau | 24 February 1848 | 25 February 1848 | 1 day | Provisional Government | Provisional Government | [46] | ||
51 | Jacques Subervie | 25 February 1848 | 19 March 1848 | 23 days | [47] | ||||
Interim by François Arago, Minister of Navy, from 19 March to 20 March 1848. | [48] | ||||||||
52 | Louis-Eugène Cavaignac | 20 March 1848 | 5 April 1848 | 16 days | Provisional Government | Provisional Government | [49] | ||
53 | François Arago | 5 April 1848 | 11 May 1848 | 42 days | Executive Commission | Executive Commission | [50] | ||
Interim by Jean-Baptiste Charras, Under Secretary of State of War, from 11 May to 17 May 1848. | [51] | ||||||||
54 | Louis-Eugène Cavaignac | 17 May 1848 | 28 June 1848 | 42 days | Executive Commission | Executive Commission | [52] | ||
55 | Louis Juchault de Lamoricière | 28 June 1848 | 20 December 1848 | 175 days | Cavaignac | Louis-Eugène Cavaignac [lower-alpha 6] | [53] | ||
56 | Joseph Rullière | 20 December 1848 | 31 October 1849 | 315 days | Barrot I – II | Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte | |||
57 | Alphonse d'Hautpoul | 31 October 1849 | 22 October 1850 | 356 days | d'Hautpoul | ||||
58 | Jean-Paul de Schramm | 22 October 1850 | 9 January 1851 | 79 days | [54] | ||||
59 | Auguste Regnaud de Saint-Jean d'Angély | 9 January 1851 | 24 January 1851 | 15 days | [55] | ||||
60 | Jacques Randon | 24 January 1851 | 26 October 1851 | 275 days | Rouher Faucher | [56] | |||
61 | Jacques Leroy de Saint-Arnaud | 26 October 1851 | 2 December 1852 | 1 year, 37 days | Last cabinet Napoléon I – II | [57] |
No. | Portrait | Name | Term | Cabinet | Emperor | Ref. | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Took office | Left office | Time in office | |||||||
61 | Jacques Leroy de Saint-Arnaud | 2 December 1852 | 11 March 1854 | 1 year, 99 days | Napoléon III | Napoleon III | [lower-alpha 4] | ||
62 | Jean-Baptiste Philibert Comte Vaillant | 11 March 1854 | 5 May 1859 | 5 years, 55 days | [58] | ||||
63 | Jacques Louis César Alexandre Comte Randon | 5 May 1859 | 20 January 1867 | 7 years, 260 days | [59] | ||||
64 | Adolphe Niel | 20 January 1867 | 13 August 1869† | 2 years, 205 days | [60] | ||||
Interim by Charles Rigault de Genouilly, Minister of Navy, from 13 August to 21 August 1869. | |||||||||
65 | Edmond Le Bœuf | 21 August 1869 | 19 July 1870 | 332 days | Napoléon IV Ollivier | Napoleon III | [61] | ||
Interim by Charles Dejean, Councillor of State, from 19 July to 9 August 1870. | [62] | ||||||||
66 | Charles Cousin-Montauban Comte de Palikao | 9 August 1870 | 4 September 1870 | 26 days | Cousin-Montauban | Napoleon III | [63] |
No. | Portrait | Name | Term | Cabinet | President | Ref. | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Took office | Left office | Time in office | |||||||
67 | Adolphe Le Flô | 4 September 1870 | 5 June 1871 | 274 days | National Defence Dufaure I | Jules Trochu [lower-alpha 7] | [64] | ||
Adolphe Thiers | |||||||||
68 | Ernest de Cissey | 5 June 1871 | 29 May 1873 | 1 year, 358 days | Dufaure I – II | [65] | |||
69 | François du Barail | 29 May 1873 | 22 May 1874 | 358 days | de Broglie I – II | Patrice de MacMahon | [66] | ||
70 | Ernest de Cissey | 22 May 1874 | 15 August 1876 | 2 years, 85 days | de Cissey Buffet Dufaure III – IV | [67] | |||
71 | Jean Berthaut | 15 August 1876 | 23 November 1877 | 1 year, 100 days | Dufaure IV Simon de Broglie III | [68] | |||
72 | Gaëtan de Rochebouët | 23 November 1877 | 13 December 1877 | 20 days | de Rochebouët | [69] | |||
73 | Jean-Louis Borel | 13 December 1877 | 13 January 1879 | 1 year, 31 days | Dufaure V | [70] | |||
74 | Henri Gresley | 13 January 1879 | 28 December 1879 | 349 days | Dufaure V Waddington | [71] | |||
Jules Grévy | |||||||||
75 | Jean-Joseph Farre | 28 December 1879 | 14 November 1881 | 1 year, 260 days | Waddington de Freycinet I Ferry I | [72] | |||
76 | Jean-Baptiste Campenon | 14 November 1881 | 30 January 1882 | 77 days | Gambetta | [73] | |||
77 | Jean-Baptiste Billot | 30 January 1882 | 31 January 1883 | 1 year, 1 day | de Freycinet II Duclerc | [74] | |||
78 | Jean Thibaudin | 31 January 1883 | 9 October 1883 | 251 days | Fallières Ferry II | [75] | |||
79 | Jean-Baptiste Campenon | 9 October 1883 | 3 January 1885 | 1 year, 86 days | Ferry II | [76] | |||
80 | Jules Lewal | 3 January 1885 | 6 April 1885 | 36 days | [77] | ||||
81 | Jean-Baptiste Campenon | 6 April 1885 | 7 January 1886 | 276 days | Brisson I | [78] | |||
82 | Georges Boulanger | 7 January 1886 | 30 May 1887 | 1 year, 143 days | de Freycinet III Goblet | [79] | |||
83 | Théophile Ferron | 30 May 1887 | 12 December 1887 | 196 days | Rouvier I | [80] | |||
84 | François Logerot | 12 December 1887 | 3 April 1888 | 113 days | Tirard I | Sadi Carnot | [81] | ||
85 | Charles de Freycinet | 3 April 1888 | 11 January 1893 | 4 years, 283 days | Floquet Tirard II de Freycinet IV Loubet Ribot I | [82] | |||
86 | Julien Loizillon | 11 January 1893 | 3 December 1893 | 326 days | Ribot II Dupuy I | [83] | |||
87 | Auguste Mercier | 3 December 1893 | 28 January 1895 | 1 year, 56 days | Casimir-Perier Dupuy II – III | [84] | |||
Jean Casimir-Perier | |||||||||
88 | Émile Zurlinden | 28 January 1895 | 1 November 1895 | 277 days | Ribot III | [85] | |||
89 | Jacques Cavaignac | 1 November 1895 | 29 April 1896 | 180 days | Bourgeois | Félix Faure | [86] | ||
90 | Jean-Baptiste Billot | 29 April 1896 | 28 June 1898 | 2 years, 60 days | Méline | [87] | |||
91 | Jacques Cavaignac | 28 June 1898 | 5 September 1898 | 69 days | Brisson II | [88] | |||
92 | Émile Zurlinden | 5 September 1898 | 17 September 1898 | 12 days | [89] | ||||
93 | Charles Chanoine | 17 September 1898 | 25 October 1898 | 38 days | [90] | ||||
Interim by Édouard Lockroy, Minister of Navy, from 25 October to 1 November 1898. | [91] | ||||||||
94 | Charles de Freycinet | 1 November 1898 | 6 May 1899 | 186 days | Dupuy IV – V | Félix Faure | [92] | ||
Émile Loubet | |||||||||
95 | Camille Krantz | 6 May 1899 | 22 June 1899 | 47 days | Dupuy V | [93] | |||
96 | Gaston de Galliffet | 22 June 1899 | 29 May 1900 | 341 days | Waldeck-Rousseau | [94] | |||
97 | Louis André | 29 May 1900 | 15 November 1904 | 4 years, 170 days | Waldeck-Rousseau Combes | [95] | |||
98 | Henri Berteaux | 15 November 1904 | 12 November 1905 | 362 days | Combes Rouvier II | [96] | |||
99 | Eugène Étienne | 12 November 1905 | 25 October 1906 | 347 days | Rouvier II – III Sarrien | [97] | |||
Armand Fallières | |||||||||
100 | Georges Picquart | 25 October 1906 | 24 July 1909 | 2 years, 272 days | Clemenceau I | [98] | |||
101 | Jean Brun | 24 July 1909 | 23 February 1911† | 1 year, 214 days | Briand I – II | [99] | |||
Interim by Aristide Briand, President of the Council of Ministers, from 23 February to 2 March 1911. | [100] | ||||||||
102 | Henri Berteaux | 2 March 1911 | 21 May 1911† | 80 days | Monis | Armand Fallières | [101] | ||
Interim by Jean Cruppi, Minister of Foreign Affairs, from 21 May to 27 May 1911. | [102] | ||||||||
103 | François Goiran | 27 May 1911 | 27 June 1911 | 15 days | Monis | Armand Fallières | [103] | ||
104 | Adolphe Messimy | 27 June 1911 | 14 January 1912 | 201 days | Caillaux | [104] | |||
105 | Alexandre Millerand | 14 January 1912 | 12 January 1913 | 364 days | Poincaré I | [105] | |||
106 | Albert Lebrun | 12 January 1913 | 21 January 1913 | 9 days | [106] | ||||
107 | Eugène Étienne | 21 January 1913 | 9 December 1913 | 322 days | Briand III – IV Barthou | [107] | |||
Raymond Poincaré | |||||||||
108 | Joseph Noulens | 9 December 1913 | 9 June 1914 | 182 days | Doumergue I | [108] | |||
109 | Théophile Delcassé | 9 June 1914 | 13 June 1914 | 4 days | Ribot IV | [109] | |||
110 | Adolphe Messimy | 13 June 1914 | 26 August 1914 | 74 days | Viviani I | [110] | |||
111 | Alexandre Millerand | 26 August 1914 | 29 October 1915 | 1 year, 64 days | Viviani II | [111] | |||
112 | Joseph Gallieni | 29 October 1915 | 16 March 1916 | 139 days | Briand V | [112] | |||
113 | Pierre Roques | 16 March 1916 | 12 December 1916 | 271 days | [113] | ||||
114 | Hubert Lyautey | 12 December 1916 | 15 March 1917 | 93 days | Briand VI | [114] | |||
Interim by Lucien Lacaze, Minister of Navy, from 15 March to 20 March 1917. | [115] | ||||||||
115 | Paul Painlevé | 20 March 1917 | 16 November 1917 | 241 days | Ribot V Painlevé I | Raymond Poincaré | [116] | ||
116 | Georges Clemenceau | 16 November 1917 | 20 January 1920 | 2 years, 65 days | Clemenceau II | [117] | |||
117 | André Lefèvre | 20 January 1920 | 16 December 1920 | 331 days | Millerand I – II Leygues | [118] | |||
Paul Deschanel | |||||||||
Alexandre Millerand | |||||||||
118 | Flaminius Raiberti | 16 December 1920 | 16 January 1921 | 31 days | Leygues | [119] | |||
119 | Louis Barthou | 16 January 1921 | 15 January 1922 | 364 days | Briand VII | [120] | |||
120 | André Maginot | 15 January 1922 | 14 June 1924 | 2 years, 151 days | Poincaré II – III François-Marsal | [121] | |||
121 | Charles Nollet | 14 June 1924 | 17 April 1925 | 307 days | Herriot I | Gaston Doumergue | [122] | ||
122 | Paul Painlevé | 17 April 1925 | 29 October 1925 | 195 days | Painlevé II | [123] | |||
123 | Édouard Daladier | 29 October 1925 | 28 November 1925 | 31 days | Painlevé III | [124] | |||
124 | Paul Painlevé | 28 November 1925 | 23 June 1926 | 207 days | Briand VIII – IX | [125] | |||
125 | Adolphe Guillaumat | 23 June 1926 | 19 July 1926 | 207 days | Briand X | [126] | |||
126 | Paul Painlevé | 19 July 1926 | 3 November 1929 | 3 years, 107 days | Herriot II Poincaré IV–V Briand XI | [127] | |||
127 | André Maginot | 3 November 1929 | 21 February 1930 | 110 days | Tardieu I | [128] | |||
128 | René Besnard | 21 February 1930 | 2 March 1930 | 9 days | Chautemps I | [129] | |||
129 | André Maginot | 2 March 1930 | 13 December 1930 | 286 days | Tardieu II | [130] | |||
130 | Louis Barthou | 13 December 1930 | 27 January 1931 | 45 days | Steeg | [131] | |||
131 | André Maginot | 27 January 1931 | 7 January 1932† | 345 days | Laval I – II | [132] | |||
Paul Doumer | |||||||||
Interim by Charles Dumont, Minister of Navy, from 7 January to 14 January 1932. | - | ||||||||
132 | André Tardieu | 14 January 1932 | 20 February 1932 | 37 days | Laval III | Paul Doumer | [133] | ||
133 | François Piétri [lower-alpha 8] | 20 February 1932 | 3 June 1932 | 104 days | Tardieu III | [134] | |||
134 | Joseph Paul-Boncour | 3 June 1932 | 18 December 1932 | 198 days | Herriot III | Albert Lebrun | [135] | ||
135 | Édouard Daladier | 18 December 1932 | 30 January 1934 | 1 year, 43 days | Paul-Boncour Daladier I Sarraut I Chautemps II | [136] | |||
136 | Jean Fabry [lower-alpha 9] | 30 January 1934 | 4 February 1934 | 5 days | Daladier II | [137] | |||
137 | Joseph Paul-Boncour [lower-alpha 9] | 4 February 1934 | 9 February 1934 | 5 days | [138] | ||||
138 | Philippe Pétain | 9 February 1934 | 8 November 1934 | 272 days | Doumergue II | [139] | |||
139 | Louis Maurin | 8 November 1934 | 7 June 1935 | 211 days | Flandin I Bouisson | [140] | |||
140 | Jean Fabry | 7 June 1935 | 24 January 1936 | 231 days | Laval IV | [141] | |||
141 | Louis Maurin | 24 January 1936 | 4 June 1936 | 132 days | Sarraut II | [142] | |||
142 | Édouard Daladier [lower-alpha 9] | 4 June 1936 | 18 May 1940 | 3 years, 349 days | Blum I Chautemps III – IV Blum II Daladier III – IV – V Reynaud | [143] | |||
143 | Paul Reynaud | 18 May 1940 | 16 June 1940 | 29 days | Reynaud | [144] | |||
144 | Louis Colson | 16 June 1940 | 10 July 1940 | 24 days | Pétain | [145] |
No. | Portrait | Name | Term | Cabinet | Chief of State | Ref. | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Took office | Left office | Time in office | |||||||
- | Louis Colson [lower-alpha 10] | 10 July 1940 | 6 September 1940 | 58 days | Laval V | Philippe Pétain | [146] | ||
- | Charles Huntziger [lower-alpha 10] | 6 September 1940 | 11 November 1941† | 1 year, 66 days | Laval V Flandin II Darlan | [147] | |||
- | François Darlan [lower-alpha 11] [lower-alpha 10] | 11 November 1941 | 18 April 1942 | 158 days | Darlan | ||||
- | Eugène Bridoux [lower-alpha 10] | 18 April 1942 | 20 August 1944 | 2 years, 124 days | Laval VI | [148] |
No. | Portrait | Name | Term | Cabinet | Leader | Ref. | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Took office | Left office | Time in office | |||||||
145 | Paul Legentilhomme [lower-alpha 12] | 24 September 1941 | 9 November 1943 | 2 years, 46 days | CNF | Charles de Gaulle | [149] | ||
CFLN | |||||||||
146 | André Le Troquer [lower-alpha 12] | 9 November 1943 | 4 April 1944 | 147 days | [150] | ||||
147 | André Diethelm [lower-alpha 12] | 4 April 1944 | 10 September 1944 | 159 days | [151] |
No. | Portrait | Name | Term | Cabinet | President | Ref. | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Took office | Left office | Time in office | |||||||
(147) | André Diethelm | 10 September 1944 | 21 November 1945 | 1 year, 72 days | de Gaulle I | Charles de Gaulle | [152] |
No. | Portrait | Name | Term | Government | President | Ref. | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Took office | Left office | Time in office | |||||||
148 | Paul Coste-Floret serving with Defence Minister François Billoux | 22 January 1947 | 22 October 1947 | 273 days | Ramadier I | Vincent Auriol | [153] | ||
Ministry disestablished |
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The Minister of the Armed Forces is the leader and most senior official of the French Ministry of the Armed Forces, tasked with running the French Armed Forces. The minister is the third-highest civilian having authority over France's military, behind the President of the Republic and the Prime Minister. Based on the governments, they may be assisted by a minister or state secretary for veterans' affairs.
The Minister of Information was the leader and most senior official of the French Ministry of Information. It was a position in the Government of France from 1938 to 1974 and no longer exists.
The Chief of the Army Staff is the military head of the French Army. The chief directs the army staff and acts as the principal advisor to the Chief of the Defence Staff on subjects concerning the Army. As such, they ensure the operational preparedness of their service branch, express their need for military and civilian personnel, and are responsible for maintaining the discipline, morale and conduct of their troops. Special responsibilities can be assigned to them in relation to nuclear safety.
The Chief of the Defence Staff is the military head of the Armed Forces of the French Republic, overseeing all military operations. They are responsible to the Minister of the Armed Forces and their deputy is the Major General of the Defence Staff. Since the 1950s, the office has been held only by four-star generals (OF–9), either from the Army, the Navy, or the Air and Space Force. The current Chief is General Thierry Burkhard, who took the position on 22 July 2021.
The Chief of the Air and Space Force Staff is the military head of the French Air and Space Force. The chief directs the air and space force staff and acts as the principal advisor to the Chief of the Defence Staff on subjects concerning the Air and Space Force. As such, they ensure the operational preparedness of their service branch, express their need for military and civilian personnel, and are responsible for maintaining the discipline, morale and conduct of their troops. Special responsibilities can be assigned to them in relation to nuclear safety.
The Chief of the Naval Staff is a French general officer, adviser to the Chief of the Defence Staff for the French Navy and responsible to the Minister of the Armed Forces for preparing the Navy for its engagement. Since 1 September 2023, the Chief of the Naval Staff has been Admiral Nicolas Vaujour.
Joseph Édouard Barès was a French general and a pioneer of military aviation. A veteran of the First World War, he later served three time as Chief of Staff of the French Air Force.
Jean Marie Noël Godefroy Calès was a French physician and politician. He was born on 21 March 1799 in Saint-Denis (Seine-Saint-Denis) and died on 25 July 1868 in Villefranche-de-Lauragais (Haute-Garonne).
The Major General of the Defence Staff is a high ranking general officer of the French Armed Forces and the deputy to the Chief of the Defence Staff. As such, it is the second highest position in the armed forces. Major Generals are nominated by the Minister of the Armed Forces and appointed by the Commander-in-Chief, the President of the French Republic. The designation of Major General is not indicative of any rank but is rather a position, as the most recent office holders were all four star generals (OF-9).
The Ministry of War was the Government of France department responsible for the French Army, the National Gendarmerie and until 1934, the French Air Force. It existed from 25 May 1791 to 31 October 1947, date to which it was merged with the Ministry of the Navy and the Ministry of Air into the Ministry of Armed Forces. It was headed by the Minister of War, occasionally taking various titles.
The First cabinet of Jules Dufaure was the 54th cabinet of France and the second of the Third Republic, seating from 19 February 1871 to 18 May 1873, headed by Jules Dufaure as Vice-President of the Council of Ministers and Minister of Justice, under the presidency of Adolphe Thiers.
The Second Cabinet of Jules Dufaure is the 55th cabinet of France and the third of the Third Republic, seating from 18 May 1873 to 25 May 1873, headed by Jules Dufaure as Vice-President of the Council of Ministers and Minister of Justice, under the presidency of Adolphe Thiers.
The First Cabinet of Albert de Broglie is the 56th cabinet of France and the fourth of the Third Republic, seating from 25 May 1873 to 26 November 1873, headed by Albert de Broglie as vice-president of the Council of Ministers and Minister of Foreign Affairs, under the presidency of Patrice de MacMahon.
The Second Cabinet of Albert de Broglie is the 57th cabinet of France and the fifth of the Third Republic, seating from 26 November 1873 to 22 May 1874, headed by Albert de Broglie as Vice-President of the Council of Ministers and Minister of Interior, under the presidency of Patrice de MacMahon.