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.
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
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| 1
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| Edmond Michelet
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| 2
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| André Le Troquer
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| Blum III
| Léon Blum
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Fourth Republic
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! style="width:5%" rowspan=2| Portrait
! style="width:20%" rowspan=2, colspan=2| Name
! colspan=3| Term
! style="width:13%" rowspan=2| Government
! rowspan=2| President
! style="width:2%" rowspan=2| Ref.
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! style="width:13%" | Took office
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| 3
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| François Billoux
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| rowspan=2|
| rowspan=2|
| rowspan=2|Ramadier I
| rowspan=2| Vincent Auriol
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| colspan=4|<small>Serving with: War Minister Paul Coste-Floret; Navy Minister Louis Jacquinot; Air Minister André Maroselli</small>
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| colspan=9| Interim by Yvon Delbos, Minister of State, from 4 May 1947 to 22 October 1947.
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| 4
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| Pierre-Henri Teitgen
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| Vincent Auriol
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| 5
| 80px
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| René Mayer
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| rowspan=6 | Vincent Auriol
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| 6
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| Paul Ramadier
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| Queuille I
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| 7
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| René Pleven
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| 8
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| Jules Moch
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| 9
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| Georges Bidault
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| rowspan=2 | 10
| rowspan=2 | 80px
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| rowspan=2 | René Pleven
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| René Coty
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| 11
| 80px
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| Pierre Kœnig
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| Mendès-France
| René Coty
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| colspan=9| Interim by Emmanuel Temple, Minister of Veterans and War Victims, from 14 August 1954 to 3 September 1954.
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| 12
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| Emmanuel Temple
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| Mendès-France
| René Coty
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| 13
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| Maurice Bourgès-Maunoury
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| rowspan=2|
| rowspan=2| Mendès-France
| rowspan=2| René Coty
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| colspan=4|<small>Serving with Minister of National Defence, Jacques Chevallier</small>
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| 14
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| Pierre Kœnig
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| rowspan=2 | Faure II
| rowspan=6 | René Coty
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| 15
| 80px
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| Pierre Billotte
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| 16
| 80px
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| Maurice Bourgès-Maunoury
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| Mollet
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| 17
| 80px
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| André Morice
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| Bourgès-Maunoury
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| 18
| 80px
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| Jacques Chaban-Delmas
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| Gaillard
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| 19
| 80px
| style="background:" |
| Pierre de Chevigné
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| Pflimlin
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| 20
| 80px
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|Pierre Guillaumat
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| rowspan=2|
| rowspan=2|
| rowspan=2|de Gaulle III
| rowspan=2| René Coty
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| colspan=4|<small>Serving with Minister of National Defence, Charles de Gaulle</small>
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Fifth Republic
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! style="width:2%" rowspan=2|
! style="width:5%" rowspan=2| Portrait
! style="width:20%" rowspan=2, colspan=2| Name
! colspan=3| Term
! style="width:13%" rowspan=2| Government
! rowspan=2| President
! style="width:2%" rowspan=2| Ref.
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! style="width:13%" | Took office
! style="width:13%" | Left office
! style="width:13%" | Time in office
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| 21
| 80px
| style="background:; width:1%" |
| Pierre Guillaumat
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|
| Debré
| rowspan=2 | Charles de Gaulle
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| rowspan=2 | 22
| rowspan=2 | 80px
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| rowspan=2 | Pierre Messmer
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| rowspan=2 |
| rowspan=2 |
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| <small>Interim : Alain Poher</small>
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| 23
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| Michel Debré
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| Georges Pompidou
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| 24
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| Robert Galley
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| Messmer II–III
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| 25
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| Jacques Soufflet
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| Chirac I
| rowspan=4 | Valéry Giscard d'Estaing
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| 26
| 80px
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| Yvon Bourges
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| 27
| 80px
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| Joël Le Theule
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| rowspan=2 | Barre III
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| 28
| 80px
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| Robert Galley
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| 29
| 80px
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| Charles Hernu
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| rowspan=7 | François Mitterrand
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| 30
| 80px
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| Paul Quilès
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| Fabius
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| 31
| 80px
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| André Giraud
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| Chirac II
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| 32
| 80px
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| Jean-Pierre Chevènement
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| Rocard I–II
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| 33
| 80px
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| Pierre Joxe
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| 34
| 80px
| style="background:;"|
| Pierre Bérégovoy
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| Bérégovoy
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| 35
| 80px
| style="background:;"|
| François Léotard
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| Balladur
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| 36
| 80px
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| Charles Millon
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| Juppé I–II
| rowspan=3 | Jacques Chirac
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| 37
| 80px
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| Alain Richard
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| Jospin
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| 38
| 80px
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| Michèle Alliot-Marie
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| 39
| 80px
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| Hervé Morin
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| Fillon I–II
| Nicolas Sarkozy
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| 40
| 80px
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| Alain Juppé
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| rowspan=2 | Fillon III
| rowspan=2 | Nicolas Sarkozy
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| 41
| 80px
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| Gérard Longuet
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! colspan=10 |
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| 42
| 80px
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| Jean-Yves Le Drian
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| François Hollande
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! colspan=10 |
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| 43
| 80px
| style="background:;" |
| Sylvie Goulard
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| Philippe I
| rowspan=4 | Emmanuel Macron
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| 44
| 80px
| style="background:" |
| Florence Parly
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|
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|-
| 45
| 80px
| style="background:" |
| Sébastien Lecornu
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| 46
| 80px
| style="background:" |
| Bruno Le Maire
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|
| Lecornu I
| <br>
|- bgcolor="lightyellow"
| colspan=9| Interim by Sébastien Lecornu, Prime Minister, from 6 October 2025 to 12 October 2025.
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|-
| 47
| 80px
| style="background:" |
| Catherine Vautrin
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| Incumbent
|
|Lecornu II
| Emmanuel Macron
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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