Minister of the Armed Forces (France)

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<ref name="L1142-1">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> having authority over France's military, behind the President of the Republic<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> and the Prime Minister.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> 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.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> In addition to their authority over the armed forces, the minister also heads the external and military intelligence community.<ref name="L1142-1"/> In this capacity, they are also a member of the National Council of Intelligence.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Although the Minister of the Armed Forces is the official responsible for veterans affairs,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> they usually delegate their powers to a dedicated subordinate minister or state secretary.

The direct military subordinates of the minister are the:<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

• Chief of the Defence Staff
• Delegate General for the Armament
• Secretary General for the Administration

Officeholders

Provisional Government

Template:Abbr	Portrait	Name		Term			Government	President	Ref.
		Took office	Left office	Time in office
Ministry established
Template:Ubl
1		style="background:Template:Party color; width:1%" |	Edmond Michelet	Template:Nowrap	Template:Nowrap	Template:Ayd	Template:Ubl	Template:Ubl	<ref>Template:Citation</ref>
Template:Small
Template:Ubl
2		style="background:Template:Party color" |	André Le Troquer	Template:Nowrap	Template:Nowrap	Template:Ayd	Blum III	Léon Blum	<ref>Template:Citation</ref>

Fourth Republic

Template:Abbr	Portrait	Name		Term			Government	President	Ref.
		Took office	Left office	Time in office
Template:Ubl
3		style="background:Template:Party color; width:1%" |	François Billoux	Template:Nowrap	Template:Nowrap	Template:Ayd	Ramadier I	Vincent Auriol	<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
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.									citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Template:Ubl
4		style="background:Template:Party color" |	Pierre-Henri Teitgen	Template:Nowrap	Template:Nowrap	Template:Ayd	Template:Ubl	Vincent Auriol	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Template:Ubl
5		style="background:Template:Party color" |	René Mayer	Template:Nowrap	Template:Nowrap	Template:Ayd	Template:Ubl	Vincent Auriol	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
6		style="background:Template:Party color" |	Paul Ramadier	Template:Nowrap	Template:Nowrap	Template:Ayd	Queuille I		citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
7		style="background:Template:Party color;"|	René Pleven	Template:Nowrap	Template:Nowrap	Template:Ayd	Template:Ubl		citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
8		style="background:Template:Party color" |	Jules Moch	Template:Nowrap	Template:Nowrap	Template:Ayd	Template:Ubl		citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
9		style="background:Template:Party color" |	Georges Bidault	Template:Nowrap	Template:Nowrap	Template:Ayd	Template:Ubl		citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
10		rowspan=2 style="background:Template:Party color;"|	René Pleven	Template:Nowrap	Template:Nowrap	Template:Ayd	Template:Ubl		<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
		René Coty
Template:Ubl
11			Pierre Kœnig	Template:Nowrap	Template:Nowrap	Template:Ayd	Mendès-France	René Coty	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Interim by Emmanuel Temple, Minister of Veterans and War Victims, from 14 August 1954 to 3 September 1954.									citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
12		style="background:Template:Party color;"|	Emmanuel Temple	Template:Nowrap	Template:Nowrap	Template:Ayd	Mendès-France	René Coty	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Template:Ubl
13		style="background:Template:Party color;"|	Maurice Bourgès-Maunoury	Template:Nowrap	Template:Nowrap	Template:Ayd	Mendès-France	René Coty	<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Serving with Minister of National Defence, Jacques Chevallier
Template:Ubl
14			Pierre Kœnig	Template:Nowrap	Template:Nowrap	Template:Ayd	Faure II	René Coty	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
15			Pierre Billotte	Template:Nowrap	Template:Nowrap	Template:Ayd			citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
16		style="background:Template:Party color;"|	Maurice Bourgès-Maunoury	Template:Nowrap	Template:Nowrap	Template:Ayd	Mollet		citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
17		style="background:Template:Party color;"|	André Morice	Template:Nowrap	Template:Nowrap	Template:Ayd	Bourgès-Maunoury		citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
18	File:Jacques Chaban-Delmas-1.jpg		Jacques Chaban-Delmas	Template:Nowrap	Template:Nowrap	Template:Ayd	Gaillard		citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
19		style="background:Template:Party color" |	Pierre de Chevigné	Template:Nowrap	Template:Nowrap	Template:Ayd	Pflimlin		citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Template:Ubl
20		style="background:Template:Party color" |	Pierre Guillaumat	Template:Nowrap	Template:Nowrap	Template:Ayd	de Gaulle III	René Coty	<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Serving with Minister of National Defence, Charles de Gaulle

Fifth Republic

Template:Abbr	Portrait	Name		Term			Government	President	Ref.
		Took office	Left office	Time in office
Template:Ubl
21		style="background:Template:Party color; width:1%" |	Pierre Guillaumat	Template:Nowrap	Template:Nowrap	Template:Ayd	Debré	Charles de Gaulle	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
22	File:Pierre Messmer01 (cropped 2).JPG	rowspan=2 style="background:Template:Party color;"|	Pierre Messmer	Template:Nowrap	Template:Nowrap	Template:Ayd	Template:Ubl		<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
		Interim : Alain Poher
Template:Ubl
23	File:Michel Debré.jpg	style="background:Template:Party color;"|	Michel Debré	Template:Nowrap	Template:Nowrap	Template:Ayd	Template:Ubl	Georges Pompidou	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Template:Ubl
24		style="background:Template:Party color;"|	Robert Galley	Template:Nowrap	Template:Nowrap	Template:Ayd	Messmer II–III	Template:Ubl	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Template:Ubl
25		style="background:Template:Party color;"|	Jacques Soufflet	Template:Nowrap	Template:Nowrap	Template:Ayd	Chirac I	Valéry Giscard d'Estaing	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
26	File:Yvon Bourges (cropped).jpg	style="background:Template:Party color;"|	Yvon Bourges	Template:Nowrap	Template:Nowrap	Template:Ayd	Template:Ubl		citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
27		style="background:Template:Party color;"|	Joël Le Theule	Template:Nowrap	Template:Nowrap	Template:Ayd	Barre III		citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
28		style="background:Template:Party color;"|	Robert Galley	Template:Nowrap	Template:Nowrap	Template:Ayd			citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
29	File:Charles Hernu.jpg	style="background:Template:Party color;"|	Charles Hernu	Template:Nowrap	Template:Nowrap	Template:Ayd	Template:Ubl	François Mitterrand	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
30	File:Paul Quilès.jpg	style="background:Template:Party color;"|	Paul Quilès	Template:Nowrap	Template:Nowrap	Template:Ayd	Fabius		citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
31	File:André Giraud 1987 (cropped).jpg	style="background:Template:Party color;"|	André Giraud	Template:Nowrap	Template:Nowrap	Template:Ayd	Chirac II		citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
32	File:Jean-Pierre chevenement et général jb pinatel à Valmy septembre 1989 (cropped).jpg	style="background:Template:Party color;"|	Jean-Pierre Chevènement	Template:Nowrap	Template:Nowrap	Template:Ayd	Rocard I–II		citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
33	File:Pierre Joxe - Février 2013.jpg	style="background:Template:Party color;"|	Pierre Joxe	Template:Nowrap	Template:Nowrap	Template:Ayd	Template:Ubl		citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
34	File:Pierre-Beregovoy.webp	style="background:Template:Party color;"|	Pierre Bérégovoy	Template:Nowrap	Template:Nowrap	Template:Ayd	Bérégovoy		citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
35	File:François Léotard 1988 (cropped).jpg	style="background:Template:Party color;"|	François Léotard	Template:Nowrap	Template:Nowrap	Template:Ayd	Balladur		citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
36	File:William S. Cohen - Charles Millon (cropped).jpg	style="background:Template:Party color;"|	Charles Millon	Template:Nowrap	Template:Nowrap	Template:Ayd	Juppé I–II	Jacques Chirac	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
37	File:Alain Richard.jpg	style="background:Template:Party color;"|	Alain Richard	Template:Nowrap	Template:Nowrap	Template:Ayd	Jospin		citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
38	File:Michèle Alliot-Marie, French Minister of Foreign and European Affairs (5277700729) (cropped).jpg	style="background:Template:Party color;"|	Michèle Alliot-Marie	Template:Nowrap	Template:Nowrap	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	Template:Nowrap	Template:Nowrap	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	Template:Nowrap	Template:Nowrap	Template:Ayd	Fillon III	Nicolas Sarkozy	Template:Ubl
41	File:Gerard Longuet (cropped).jpg	style="background:Template:Party color;"|	Gérard Longuet	Template:Nowrap	Template:Nowrap	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	Template:Nowrap	Template:Nowrap	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	Template:Nowrap	Template:Nowrap	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	Template:Nowrap	Template:Nowrap	Template:Ayd	Template:Ubl		Template:Ubl
45	File:Portrait Sébastien Lecornu.jpg	style="background:Template:Party color" |	Sébastien Lecornu	Template:Nowrap	Template:Nowrap	Template:Ayd	Template:Ubl		Template:Ubl
46	File:Bruno Le Maire in 2022.jpg	style="background:Template:Party color" |	Bruno Le Maire	Template:Nowrap	Template:Nowrap	Template:Ayd	Lecornu I		<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> <ref name="Le Maire">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Interim by Sébastien Lecornu, Prime Minister, from 6 October 2025 to 12 October 2025.									citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
47	File:Vautrin 1503548 (cropped).jpg	style="background:Template:Party color" |	Catherine Vautrin	Template:Nowrap	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 = {{#time:d/m/Y}} Define $later = 31/12/{{#time:Y}}

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

• Secretary of State of the Navy (France)
• Secretary of State for War (France)
• Ministry of War (France)
• Minister of the Navy (France)
• Minister of Air (France)
• Chief of the Defence Staff (France)
  • Major General of the Defence Staff (France)
  • Chief of Staff of the French Army
  • Chief of Staff of the French Air and Space Force
  • Chief of Staff of the French Navy
  • Special Operations Command (France)
  • Directorate General of the National Gendarmerie