Minister of the Armed Forces (France)

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The Minister of the Armed Forces and Veterans Affairs (Template:Langx, Template:Literally) 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[1] having authority over France's military, behind the President of the Republic[2] and the Prime Minister.[3] Based on the governments, they may be assisted by a minister or state secretary for veterans' affairs.

The office is considered to be one of the core positions of the Government of France. The previous minister Bruno Le Maire, resigned on 6 October 2025.

History

The minister in charge of the Armed Forces has evolved within the epoque and regimes. The Secretary of State of War was one of the four specialised secretaries of state established in France in 1589. This State Secretary was responsible for the French Army (similarly, the Naval Ministers of France and the Colonies was created in 1669). In 1791, the Secretary of State of War became Minister of War, with this ministerial function being abolished in 1794 and re-established in 1795. Since 1930, the position was often referred to as Minister of War and National Defence. In 1947, two years after World War II, the ministry merged with the Ministry of the Navy and the Ministry of Air (created in 1930), while being headed by a Minister of National Defence responsible for the French Armed Forces, often referred to as Minister of the Armies and since 1947 until 2017, designated as Minister of Defence.

Powers and functions

As the head of the military, the minister is part of the Council of Defence.[4] In addition to their authority over the armed forces, the minister also heads the external and military intelligence community.[1] In this capacity, they are also a member of the National Council of Intelligence.[5]

Although the Minister of the Armed Forces is the official responsible for veterans affairs,[6] they usually delegate their powers to a dedicated subordinate minister or state secretary.

The direct military subordinates of the minister are the:[7]

Officeholders

Provisional Government

No. Portrait Name Term Government President Ref.
Took office Left office Time in office
Ministry established
Template:Ubl
1 File:Edmond Michelet (1899-1970).jpg style="background:Template:Party color; width:1%" | Edmond Michelet 21 November 1945 16 December 1946 Template:Ayd Template:Ubl Template:Ubl [8]
Serving with Minister of National Defence, Charles de GaulleScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
Template:Ubl
2 File:André Le Troquer en 1948.jpg style="background:Template:Party color" | André Le Troquer 16 December 1946 22 January 1947 Template:Ayd Blum III Léon Blum [9]

Fourth Republic

No. Portrait Name Term Government President Ref.
Took office Left office Time in office
Template:Ubl
3 File:François Billoux.png style="background:Template:Party color; width:1%" | François Billoux 22 January 1947 4 May 1947 Template:Ayd Ramadier I Vincent Auriol [10]
Serving with: War Minister Paul Coste-Floret; Navy Minister Louis Jacquinot; Air Minister André Maroselli
Interim by Yvon Delbos, Minister of State, from 4 May 1947 to 22 October 1947. [11]
Template:Ubl
4 File:Pierre-Henri Teitgen.jpg style="background:Template:Party color" | Pierre-Henri Teitgen 22 October 1947 26 July 1948 Template:Ayd Template:Ubl Vincent Auriol [12]
Template:Ubl
5 File:René Mayer en 1949.jpg style="background:Template:Party color" | René Mayer 26 July 1948 11 September 1948 Template:Ayd Template:Ubl Vincent Auriol [13]
6 File:Paul Ramadier en 1947.jpg style="background:Template:Party color" | Paul Ramadier 11 September 1948 28 October 1949 Template:Ayd Queuille I [14]
7 File:René Pleven.png style="background:Template:Party color;"| René Pleven 28 October 1949 12 July 1950 Template:Ayd Template:Ubl [15]
8 File:Jules Moch en 1950.jpg style="background:Template:Party color" | Jules Moch 12 July 1950 11 August 1951 Template:Ayd Template:Ubl [16]
9 File:Georges Bidault.jpg style="background:Template:Party color" | Georges Bidault 11 August 1951 8 March 1952 Template:Ayd Template:Ubl [17]
10 File:Rene Pleven.jpg rowspan=2 style="background:Template:Party color;"| René Pleven 8 March 1952 19 June 1954 Template:Ayd Template:Ubl [18]
René Coty
Template:Ubl
11 File:Bezoek van de Franse generaal J.P. Koenig aan de Stormschool Bloemendaal. NL-HlmNHA 54004047 (cropped).JPG Pierre Kœnig 19 June 1954 14 August 1954 Template:Ayd Mendès-France René Coty [19]
Interim by Emmanuel Temple, Minister of Veterans and War Victims, from 14 August 1954 to 3 September 1954. [20]
12 File:Blanco portrait.svg style="background:Template:Party color;"| Emmanuel Temple 3 September 1954 20 January 1955 Template:Ayd Mendès-France René Coty [21]
Template:Ubl
13 File:Bourgès-Maunoury - Levi Eshkol 1958 (cropped).jpg style="background:Template:Party color;"| Maurice Bourgès-Maunoury 20 January 1955 23 February 1955 Template:Ayd Mendès-France René Coty [22]
Serving with Minister of National Defence, Jacques Chevallier
Template:Ubl
14 File:Bezoek van de Franse generaal J.P. Koenig aan de Stormschool Bloemendaal. NL-HlmNHA 54004047 (cropped).JPG Pierre Kœnig 23 February 1955 6 October 1955 Template:Ayd Faure II René Coty [23]
15 File:General Pierre Billotte (1957).jpg Pierre Billotte 6 October 1955 1 February 1956 Template:Ayd [24]
16 File:Bourgès-Maunoury - Levi Eshkol 1958 (cropped).jpg style="background:Template:Party color;"| Maurice Bourgès-Maunoury 1 February 1956 13 June 1957 Template:Ayd Mollet [25]
17 File:Blanco portrait.svg style="background:Template:Party color;"| André Morice 13 June 1957 6 November 1957 Template:Ayd Bourgès-Maunoury [26]
18 File:Jacques Chaban-Delmas-1.jpg Jacques Chaban-Delmas 6 November 1957 14 May 1958 Template:Ayd Gaillard [27]
19 File:Blanco portrait.svg style="background:Template:Party color" | Pierre de Chevigné 14 May 1958 1 June 1958 Template:Ayd Pflimlin [28]
Template:Ubl
20 File:Blanco portrait.svg style="background:Template:Party color" | Pierre Guillaumat 1 June 1958 8 January 1959 Template:Ayd de Gaulle III René Coty [29]
Serving with Minister of National Defence, Charles de Gaulle

Fifth Republic

No. Portrait Name Term Government President Ref.
Took office Left office Time in office
Template:Ubl
21 File:Blanco portrait.svg style="background:Template:Party color; width:1%" | Pierre Guillaumat 8 January 1959 5 February 1960 Template:Ayd Debré Charles de Gaulle [30]
22 File:Pierre Messmer01 (cropped 2).JPG rowspan=2 style="background:Template:Party color;"| Pierre Messmer 5 February 1960 22 June 1969 Template:Ayd Template:Ubl [31]
Interim : Alain Poher
Template:Ubl
23 File:Michel Debré.jpg style="background:Template:Party color;"| Michel Debré 22 June 1969 5 April 1973 Template:Ayd Template:Ubl Georges Pompidou [32]
Template:Ubl
24 File:Blanco portrait.svg style="background:Template:Party color;"| Robert Galley 5 April 1973 28 May 1974 Template:Ayd Messmer II–III Template:Ubl [33]
Template:Ubl
25 File:Blanco portrait.svg style="background:Template:Party color;"| Jacques Soufflet 28 May 1974 31 January 1975 Template:Ayd Chirac I Valéry Giscard d'Estaing [34]
26 File:Yvon Bourges (cropped).jpg style="background:Template:Party color;"| Yvon Bourges 31 January 1975 2 October 1980 Template:Ayd Template:Ubl [35]
27 File:Blanco portrait.svg style="background:Template:Party color;"| Joël Le Theule 2 October 1980 22 December 1980 Template:Ayd Barre III [36]
28 File:Blanco portrait.svg style="background:Template:Party color;"| Robert Galley 22 December 1980 22 May 1981 Template:Ayd [37]
29 File:Charles Hernu.jpg style="background:Template:Party color;"| Charles Hernu 22 May 1981 20 September 1985 Template:Ayd Template:Ubl François Mitterrand [38]
30 File:Paul Quilès.jpg style="background:Template:Party color;"| Paul Quilès 20 September 1985 20 March 1986 Template:Ayd Fabius [39]
31 File:André Giraud 1987 (cropped).jpg style="background:Template:Party color;"| André Giraud 20 March 1986 12 May 1988 Template:Ayd Chirac II [40]
32 File:Jean-Pierre chevenement et général jb pinatel à Valmy septembre 1989 (cropped).jpg style="background:Template:Party color;"| Jean-Pierre Chevènement 12 May 1988 29 January 1991 Template:Ayd Rocard I–II [41]
33 File:Pierre Joxe - Février 2013.jpg style="background:Template:Party color;"| Pierre Joxe 29 January 1991 9 March 1993 Template:Ayd Template:Ubl [42]
34 File:Pierre-Beregovoy.webp style="background:Template:Party color;"| Pierre Bérégovoy 9 March 1993 30 March 1993 Template:Ayd Bérégovoy [43]
35 File:François Léotard 1988 (cropped).jpg style="background:Template:Party color;"| François Léotard 30 March 1993 18 May 1995 Template:Ayd Balladur [44]
36 File:William S. Cohen - Charles Millon (cropped).jpg style="background:Template:Party color;"| Charles Millon 18 May 1995 4 June 1997 Template:Ayd Juppé I–II Jacques Chirac [45]
37 File:Alain Richard.jpg style="background:Template:Party color;"| Alain Richard 4 June 1997 7 May 2002 Template:Ayd Jospin [46]
38 File:Michèle Alliot-Marie, French Minister of Foreign and European Affairs (5277700729) (cropped).jpg style="background:Template:Party color;"| Michèle Alliot-Marie 7 May 2002 18 May 2007 Template:Ayd Template:Ubl Template:Ubl
39 File:Defense.gov News Photo 100208-D-7203C-003 (cropped).jpg style="background:Template:Party color;"| Hervé Morin 18 May 2007 14 November 2010 Template:Ayd Fillon I–II Nicolas Sarkozy Template:Ubl
Template:Ubl
40 File:Alain Juppé in Washington DC (cropped).jpg style="background:Template:Party color;"| Alain Juppé 14 November 2010 27 February 2011 Template:Ayd Fillon III Nicolas Sarkozy Template:Ubl
41 File:Gerard Longuet (cropped).jpg style="background:Template:Party color;"| Gérard Longuet 27 February 2011 16 May 2012 Template:Ayd Template:Ubl
Template:Ubl
42 File:Reuven Rivlin at a meeting with Jean-Yves Le Drian, March 2018 (9730) (cropped).jpg style="background:Template:Party color;"| Jean-Yves Le Drian 16 May 2012 17 May 2017 Template:Ayd Template:Ubl François Hollande Template:Ubl
Template:Ubl
43 File:Hearing of Sylvie Goulard (France) , candidate commissioner for internal market (48832160786) (cropped).jpg style="background:Template:Party color;" | Sylvie Goulard 17 May 2017 21 June 2017 Template:Ayd Philippe I Emmanuel Macron Template:Ubl
44 File:Florence Parly 190907-D-BN624-0170 (48694393657) (cropped).jpg style="background:Template:Party color" | Florence Parly 21 June 2017 20 May 2022 Template:Ayd Template:Ubl Template:Ubl
45 File:Portrait Sébastien Lecornu.jpg style="background:Template:Party color" | Sébastien Lecornu 20 May 2022 5 October 2025 Template:Ayd Template:Ubl Template:Ubl
46 File:Bruno Le Maire in 2022.jpg style="background:Template:Party color" | Bruno Le Maire 5 October 2025 6 October 2025 Template:Ayd Lecornu I [47]
[48]
Interim by Sébastien Lecornu, Prime Minister, from 6 October 2025 to 12 October 2025. [48]
47 File:Vautrin 1503548 (cropped).jpg style="background:Template:Party color" | Catherine Vautrin 12 October 2025 Incumbent Template:Ayd Lecornu II Emmanuel Macron

Timeline

<timeline> ImageSize = width:1000 height:auto barincrement:18 PlotArea = top:10 bottom:80 right:50 left:20 AlignBars = late

Define $today = 30/04/2026 Define $later = 31/12/2026

DateFormat = dd/mm/yyyy Period = from:01/01/1958 till:01/03/2030 TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal ScaleMinor = unit:year increment:1 start:01/01/1958 ScaleMajor = unit:year increment:5 start:01/01/1958

Colors = 

 id:ind     value:rgb(0.86, 0.86, 0.86) legend:Independent
 id:UfNR    value:rgb(0.09, 0, 0.78) legend:Union_for_the_New_Republic
 id:UDR    value:rgb(0.91, 0.29, 0.17) legend:Union_of_Democrats_for_the_Republic
 id:RPR    value:rgb(0.06, 0.13, 0.44) legend:Rally_for_the_Republic
 id:PS    value:rgb(0.89, 0.18, 0.36) legend:Socialist_Party
 id:UFD    value:rgb(0.40, 0.80, 0.80) legend:Union_for_French_Democracy
 id:UMP   value:rgb(0.16, 0.32, 0.69) legend:Union_for_a_Popular_Movement
 id:LC   value:rgb(0.44, 0.59, 0.81) legend:The_Centrists
 id:RE    value:rgb(0.98, 0.92, 0) legend:Renaissance
 id:linemark  value:gray(0.8)
 id:linemark2 value:gray(0.9)

Legend = columns:1

BarData = 

 bar:Guillaumat
 bar:Messmer
 bar:Debré
 bar:Galley
 bar:Soufflet
 bar:Bourges
 bar:LeTheule
 bar:Hernu
 bar:Quilès
 bar:Giraud
 bar:Chevènement
 bar:Joxe
 bar:Léotard
 bar:Millon
 bar:Richard
 bar:Alliot
 bar:Morin
 bar:Juppé
 bar:Longuet
 bar:Drian
 bar:Goulard
 bar:Parly
 bar:Lecornu
 bar:Maire

PlotData= 

 width:5 align:left fontsize:S shift:(5,-4) anchor:till
bar:Guillaumat
 from: 08/01/1959 till: 05/02/1960 color:ind text:"Pierre Guillaumat"
bar:Messmer
 from: 05/02/1960 till: 22/06/1969 color:UfNR text:"Pierre Messmer"
bar:Debré
 from: 22/06/1969 till: 05/04/1973 color:UDR text:"Michel Debré"
bar:Galley
 from: 05/04/1973 till: 28/05/1974 color:UDR #Galley
 from: 22/12/1980 till: 22/05/1981 color:RPR text:"Robert Galley"
bar:Soufflet
 from: 28/05/1974 till: 31/01/1975 color:UDR text:"Jacques Soufflet"
bar:Bourges
 from: 31/01/1975 till: 02/10/1980 color:RPR text:"Yvon Bourges"
bar:LeTheule
 from: 02/10/1980 till: 22/12/1980 color:RPR text:"Joël Le Theule"
bar:Hernu
 from: 22/05/1981 till: 20/09/1985 color:PS text:"Charles Hernu"
bar:Quilès
 from: 20/09/1985 till: 20/03/1986 color:PS text:"Paul Quilès"
bar:Giraud
 from: 20/03/1986 till: 12/05/1988 color:UFD text:"André Giraud"
bar:Chevènement
 from: 12/05/1988 till: 29/01/1991 color:PS text:"Jean-Pierre Chevènement"
bar:Joxe
 from: 29/01/1991 till: 09/03/1993 color:PS text:"Pierre Joxe"
bar:Léotard
 from: 30/03/1993 till: 18/05/1995 color:UFD text:"François Léotard"
bar:Millon
 from: 18/05/1995 till: 04/06/1997 color:UFD text:"Charles Millon"
bar:Richard
 from: 04/06/1997 till: 07/05/2002 color:PS text:"Alain Richard"
bar:Alliot
 from: 07/05/2002 till: 18/05/2007 color:UMP text:"Michèle Alliot-Marie"
bar:Morin
 from: 18/05/2007 till: 14/11/2010 color:LC text:"Hervé Morin"
bar:Juppé
 from: 14/11/2010 till: 27/02/2011 color:UMP text:"Alain Juppé"
bar:Longuet
 from: 27/02/2011 till: 16/05/2012 color:UMP text:"Gérard Longuet"
bar:Drian
 from: 16/05/2012 till: 17/05/2017 color:PS text:"Jean-Yves Le Drian
bar:Goulard
 from: 17/05/2017 till: 21/06/2017 color:RE text:"Sylvie Goulard
bar:Parly
 from: 21/06/2017 till: 20/05/2022 color:ind text:"Florence Parly
bar:Lecornu
 from: 20/05/2022 till: 05/10/2025 color:RE
 from: 06/10/2025 till:$today color:RE text:"Sébastien Lecornu"
 bar:Maire
  from: 05/10/2025 till: 06/10/2025 color:RE text:"Bruno Le Maire"

</timeline>

See also

References

<templatestyles src="Reflist/styles.css" />

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  5. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  6. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  7. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  8. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  9. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  10. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  11. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  12. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  13. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  14. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  15. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  16. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  17. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  18. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  19. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  20. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  21. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  22. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  23. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  24. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  25. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  26. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  27. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  28. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  29. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  30. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  31. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  32. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  33. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  34. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  35. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  36. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  37. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  38. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  39. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  40. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  41. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  42. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  43. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  44. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  45. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  46. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  47. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  48. ↑ a b Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".

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