Secretary of State for War

Not to be confused with Secretary at War or Secretary of War (disambiguation).

The secretary of state for war, commonly called the war secretary, was a secretary of state in the Government of the United Kingdom, which existed from 1794 to 1801 and from 1854 to 1964. The secretary of state for war headed the War Office and was assisted by a parliamentary under-secretary of state for war, a parliamentary private secretary who was also a member of parliament (MP), and a military Secretary, who was a general.

Secretary of State for War
Royal Arms as used by His Majesty's Government
War Office
Member of	British Cabinet Privy Council
Seat	Westminster, London
Appointer	The British Monarch (on advice of the Prime Minister)
Term length	No fixed term
Formation	11 July 1794
First holder	Henry Dundas
Final holder	James Ramsden
Abolished	1 April 1964
Deputy	Under-Secretary of State for War

Edward Cardwell, later Viscount Cardwell, Secretary of State for War from 1868 to 1874; architect of the Cardwell Reforms

History

The position of secretary of state for war was first held by Henry Dundas who was appointed in 1794. In 1801, the post became that of secretary of state for war and the colonies. The position of secretary of state for war was re-instated in 1854 when the secretary of state for the colonies was created as a separate position.

In the nineteenth century, the post was twice held by future prime minister Henry Campbell-Bannerman. At the outset of the First World War, prime minister H. H. Asquith was filling the role, but he quickly appointed Lord Kitchener, who became famous while in this position for Lord Kitchener Wants You. He was replaced by David Lloyd George, who went on to become prime minister. Between the World Wars, the post was held by future prime minister Winston Churchill for two years.

In 1946, the three posts of secretary of state for war, first lord of the admiralty, and secretary of state for air became formally subordinated to that of minister of defence, which had itself been created in 1940 for the co-ordination of defence and security issues.

In the 1960s, John Profumo held this post at the time of the Profumo affair.

On 1 April 1964, with the creation of a new united Ministry of Defence headed by the secretary of state for defence, the three service ministries as well as the post of minister of defence as created in 1940 were abolished.

List of secretaries of state

Secretary of State for War, 1794–1801

Secretary			Term of office		Political party	Prime Minister
		Henry Dundas (also President of the Board of Control)	11 July 1794	17 March 1801	Tory		William Pitt the Younger

For 1801–1854 see Secretary of State for War and the Colonies.

Secretaries of state for war, 1854–1964

Name		Portrait	Term of office		Political party	Prime Minister
		Henry Pelham-Clinton, 5th Duke of Newcastle	12 June 1854	30 January 1855	Peelite		George Hamilton-Gordon, 4th Earl of Aberdeen (Coalition)
		Fox Maule-Ramsay, 2nd Baron Panmure	8 February 1855	21 February 1858	Whig		Edward Smith-Stanley, 14th Earl of Derby
		Jonathan Peel	26 February 1858	11 June 1859	Conservative
		Sidney Herbert	18 June 1859	22 July 1861	Liberal		Henry John Temple, 3rd Viscount Palmerston
		Sir George Cornewall Lewis, 2nd Baronet	23 July 1861	13 April 1863	Liberal
		George Robinson, 3rd Earl de Grey and 2nd Earl of Ripon	28 April 1863	16 February 1866	Liberal
							John Russell, 1st Earl Russell
		Spencer Cavendish, Marquess of Hartington	16 February 1866	26 June 1866	Liberal
		Jonathan Peel	6 July 1866	8 March 1867	Conservative		14th Earl of Derby
		John Pakington, 1st Baron Hampton	8 March 1867	1 December 1868	Conservative
							Benjamin Disraeli
		Edward Cardwell	9 December 1868	17 February 1874	Liberal		William Ewart Gladstone
		Gathorne Hardy	21 February 1874	2 April 1878	Conservative		Benjamin Disraeli
		Frederick Stanley	2 April 1878	21 April 1880	Conservative
		Hugh Childers	28 April 1880	16 December 1882	Liberal		William Ewart Gladstone
		Spencer Cavendish, Marquess of Hartington	16 December 1882	9 June 1885	Liberal
		W. H. Smith	24 June 1885	21 January 1886	Conservative		Robert Gascoyne-Cecil, 3rd Marquess of Salisbury
		Gathorne Gathorne-Hardy, 1st Earl of Cranbrook	21 January 1886	6 February 1886	Conservative
		Henry Campbell-Bannerman	6 February 1886	20 July 1886	Liberal		William Ewart Gladstone
		W. H. Smith	3 August 1886	14 January 1887	Conservative		Robert Gascoyne-Cecil, 3rd Marquess of Salisbury
		Edward Stanhope	14 January 1887	11 August 1892	Conservative
		Henry Campbell-Bannerman	18 August 1892	21 June 1895	Liberal		William Ewart Gladstone
							Archibald Primrose, 5th Earl of Rosebery
		Henry Petty-Fitzmaurice, 5th Marquess of Lansdowne	4 July 1895	12 November 1900	Liberal Unionist		Robert Gascoyne-Cecil, 3rd Marquess of Salisbury (Unionist Coalition)
		St John Brodrick	12 November 1900	6 October 1903	Irish Unionist
							Arthur Balfour (Unionist Coalition)
		H. O. Arnold-Forster	6 October 1903	4 December 1905	Liberal Unionist
		Richard Haldane (Viscount Haldane from 1911)	10 December 1905	12 June 1912	Liberal		Henry Campbell-Bannerman
							H. H. Asquith
		J. E. B. Seely	12 June 1912	30 March 1914	Liberal
		H. H. Asquith (while Prime Minister)	30 March 1914	5 August 1914	Liberal
		Herbert Kitchener, 1st Earl Kitchener	5 August 1914	5 June 1916	none
							H. H. Asquith (Coalition)
		David Lloyd George	6 July 1916	5 December 1916	Liberal
		Edward Stanley, 17th Earl of Derby	10 December 1916	18 April 1918	Conservative		David Lloyd George (Coalition)
		Alfred Milner, 1st Viscount Milner	18 April 1918	10 January 1919	Conservative
		Winston Churchill	10 January 1919	13 February 1921	Liberal
		Laming Worthington-Evans	13 February 1921	19 October 1922	Conservative
		Edward Stanley, 17th Earl of Derby	24 October 1922	22 January 1924	Conservative		Bonar Law
							Stanley Baldwin
		Stephen Walsh	22 January 1924	3 November 1924	Labour		Ramsay MacDonald
		Laming Worthington-Evans	6 November 1924	4 June 1929	Conservative		Stanley Baldwin
		Thomas Shaw	7 June 1929	24 August 1931	Labour		Ramsay MacDonald
		Robert Crewe-Milnes, 1st Marquess of Crewe	25 August 1931	5 November 1931	Liberal		Ramsay MacDonald (1st National Min.)
		Douglas Hogg, 1st Viscount Hailsham	5 November 1931	7 June 1935	Conservative		Ramsay MacDonald (2nd National Min.)
		E. F. L. Wood, 1st Earl of Halifax	7 June 1935	22 November 1935	Conservative		Stanley Baldwin (3rd National Min.)
		Duff Cooper	22 November 1935	28 May 1937	Conservative
		Leslie Hore-Belisha	28 May 1937	5 January 1940	National Liberal		Neville Chamberlain (4th National Min.; War Coalition)
		Oliver Stanley	5 January 1940	11 May 1940	Conservative
		Anthony Eden	11 May 1940	22 December 1940	Conservative	P.M.		Min.Defence
							Winston Churchill (War Coalition)
		David Margesson	22 December 1940	22 February 1942	Conservative
		P. J. Grigg	22 February 1942	26 July 1945	National
		Jack Lawson	3 August 1945	4 October 1946	Labour		Attlee	Attlee
		Frederick Bellenger	4 October 1946	7 October 1947	Labour			A.V. Alexander
		Emanuel Shinwell	7 October 1947	28 February 1950	Labour
		John Strachey	28 February 1950	26 October 1951	Labour			Shinwell
		Antony Head	31 October 1951	18 October 1956	Conservative		Churchill	Churchill
								H. Alexander
								Macmillan
							Eden	Lloyd
								Monckton
		John Hare	18 October 1956	6 January 1958	Conservative			Head
							Macmillan	Sandys
		Christopher Soames	6 January 1958	27 July 1960	Conservative
								Watkinson
		John Profumo	27 July 1960	5 June 1963	Conservative
								Thorneycroft
		Joseph Godber	27 June 1963	21 October 1963	Conservative
		James Ramsden	21 October 1963	1 April 1964	Conservative		Douglas-Home

See also

• Secretary at War

Principal political leaders of the English/British Armed Forces:

	Royal Navy	British Army	Royal Air Force	Co-ordination
1628	First Lord of the Admiralty (1628–1964)
1794		Secretary of State for War (1794–1801)
1801		Secretary of State for War and the Colonies (1801–1854)
1854		Secretary of State for War (1854–1964)
1919			Secretary of State for Air (1919–1964)
1936				Minister for Co-ordination of Defence (1936–1940)
1940				Minister of Defence (1940–1964)
1964	Secretary of State for Defence (1964–present)