Ministry of Defence (Spain)

The Ministry of Defence (Ministerio de Defensa de España,MdD) is the Spanish government department responsible for implementation of government defence policy. It is the administrative and executive body of the Spanish Armed Forces.

Functions
According to the Spanish Constitution of 1978, the King is the Commander in Chief of the Spanish military. He can declare war or conclude peace without authorization of the Parliament, provided this act is countersigned by the Prime Minister.

The Defense Department determines and oversees:


 * The policies of defense.
 * Military alliances.
 * The conduction of war.
 * The expenses and budget of the military.

History
From 1808 to 1834 the equivalent department was the "Secretariat of the Office of War." From 1 January 1834 until 1939, its name was the "Ministry of War." Between 1863 and 1899, the ministry worked in cooperation with the Ministry of Overseas, which was in charge of the administration of the colonies.

The current Defence Department was one of the first ministerial portfolios created during the Transición. Until 4 July 1977, during the regime of General Franco, there were three ministerial portfolios, one for each of the different branches of the Armed Forces: the army, navy, and air force. During the Transición, Adolfo Suárez combined them into one.

Organization and mission
The Department is organized as follows:


 * Secretariat of Estate of Defence
 * General Secretariat of Defence Policy
 * Deputy Secretariat of Defence

This department has worked to consolidate the current democracy.

The ministers pursue four main goals:


 * To consolidate the supremacy of the civil power over the military one.
 * To integrate the different armies in international structures of defense, especially NATO.
 * To complete the reform of the military profession and the official's reduction.
 * To modernize military equipment.

Some of the challenges faced by this department have been:


 * The integration of Spanish military in organizations like NATO.
 * The participation of Spain in United Nations missions of peace.
 * The reform of the military structures.

List of Ministers of Defence of Spain
(1) Minister of Defence (2) Minister of National Defence (3) Minister of the Army (4) Minister of the Navy (5) Minister of the Air Forces (6) Minister of War (7) Royal Secretary of War