The Minister of the Armed Forces and Veterans Affairs (, ) 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 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. In addition to their authority over the armed forces, the minister also heads the external and military intelligence community. In this capacity, they are also a member of the National Council of Intelligence.
Although the Minister of the Armed Forces is the official responsible for veterans affairs, they usually delegate their powers to a dedicated subordinate minister or state secretary.
The direct military subordinates of the minister are the: Chief of the Defence Staff Delegate General for the Armament Secretary General for the Administration
Officeholders Provisional Government
Portrait Name Term Government President Ref. Took office Left office Time in officeMinistry established 1 Edmond Michelet 2 André Le Troquer Blum III Léon Blum
Fourth Republic
Portrait Name Term Government President Ref. Took office Left office Time in office 3 François BillouxRamadier I Vincent AuriolServing 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. 4 Pierre-Henri Teitgen Vincent Auriol 5 René Mayer Vincent Auriol 6 Paul Ramadier Queuille I 7 René Pleven 8 Jules Moch 9 Georges Bidault 10 René Pleven René Coty 11 Pierre Kœnig Mendès-France René Coty Interim by Emmanuel Temple, Minister of Veterans and War Victims, from 14 August 1954 to 3 September 1954. 12 Emmanuel Temple Mendès-France René Coty 13 Maurice Bourgès-Maunoury Mendès-France René Coty Serving with Minister of National Defence, Jacques Chevallier 14 Pierre Kœnig Faure II René Coty 15 Pierre Billotte 16 Maurice Bourgès-Maunoury Mollet 17 André Morice Bourgès-Maunoury 18 Jacques Chaban-Delmas Gaillard 19 Pierre de Chevigné Pflimlin 20 Pierre Guillaumat de Gaulle III René CotyServing with Minister of National Defence, Charles de Gaulle
Fifth Republic
Portrait Name Term Government President Ref. Took office Left office Time in office 21 Pierre Guillaumat Debré Charles de Gaulle 22 Pierre Messmer Interim : Alain Poher 23 Michel Debré Georges Pompidou 24 Robert Galley Messmer II–III 25 Jacques Soufflet Chirac I Valéry Giscard d'Estaing 26 Yvon Bourges 27 Joël Le Theule Barre III 28 Robert Galley 29 Charles Hernu François Mitterrand 30 Paul Quilès Fabius 31 André Giraud Chirac II 32 Jean-Pierre Chevènement Rocard I–II 33 Pierre Joxe 34 Pierre Bérégovoy Bérégovoy 35 François Léotard Balladur 36 Charles Millon Juppé I–II Jacques Chirac 37 Alain Richard Jospin 38 Michèle Alliot-Marie 39 Hervé Morin Fillon I–II Nicolas Sarkozy 40 Alain Juppé Fillon III Nicolas Sarkozy 41 Gérard Longuet 42 Jean-Yves Le Drian François Hollande 43 Sylvie Goulard Philippe I Emmanuel Macron 44 Florence Parly 45 Sébastien Lecornu 46 Bruno Le Maire Lecornu I Interim by Sébastien Lecornu, Prime Minister, from 6 October 2025 to 12 October 2025. 47 Catherine Vautrin Incumbent Lecornu II Emmanuel Macron
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
References