Edward Cardwell, later Viscount Cardwell, Secretary of State for War from 1868 to 1874; architect of the Cardwell Reforms
The position of Secretary of State for War, commonly called War Secretary, was a British cabinet-level position, first held by Henry Dundas (appointed in 1794). In 1801 the post became that of Secretary of State for War and the Colonies. The position was re-instated in 1854. In 1946, with the creation of a cabinet level Minister of Defence separate from the Prime Minister, it ceased to be a cabinet position, and the office was abolished (along with that of First Lord of the Admiralty and Secretary of State for Air) on 1 April 1964, when the cabinet position was replaced by the Secretary of State for Defence – in charge of a new united Ministry of Defence.
The Secretary of State 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, and a Military Secretary, who was a general.
Secretaries of State for War, 1794–1801
Edit
| Name | Portrait | Term of office | Political party | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Henry Dundas (also President of the Board of Control) | 60px | 11 July 1794 | 17 March 1801 | Tory | |
For 1801–1854 see Secretary of State for War and the Colonies.
Secretaries of State for War, 1854–1964Edit
| Name | Portrait | Term of office | Political party | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Duke of Newcastle |  | 12 June 1854 | 30 January 1855 | Peelite | |
| The Lord Panmure |  | 8 February 1855 | 21 February 1858 | Whig | |
| Jonathan Peel |  | 26 February 1858 | 11 June 1859 | Conservative | |
| Sidney Herbert |  | 18 June 1859 | 22 July 1861 | Liberal | |
| Sir George Cornewall Lewis, Bt |  | 23 July 1861 | 13 April 1863 | Liberal | |
| The Earl de Grey and Ripon |  | 28 April 1863 | 16 February 1866 | Liberal | |
| The Marquess of Hartington |  | 16 February 1866 | 26 June 1866 | Liberal | |
| Jonathan Peel | | 6 July 1866 | 8 March 1867 | Conservative | |
| Sir John Pakington, Bt |  | 8 March 1867 | 1 December 1868 | Conservative | |
| Edward Cardwell | | 9 December 1868 | 17 February 1874 | Liberal | |
| Gathorne Hardy |  | 21 February 1874 | 2 April 1878 | Conservative | |
| Frederick Stanley |  | 2 April 1878 | 21 April 1880 | Conservative | |
| Hugh Childers |  | 28 April 1880 | 16 December 1882 | Liberal | |
| The Marquess of Hartington | | 16 December 1882 | 9 June 1885 | Liberal | |
| W. H. Smith | 60px | 24 June 1885 | 21 January 1886 | Conservative | |
| The Viscount Cranbrook | | 21 January 1886 | 6 February 1886 | Conservative | |
| Henry Campbell-Bannerman |  | 6 February 1886 | 20 July 1886 | Liberal | |
| W. H. Smith | 60px | 3 August 1886 | 14 January 1887 | Conservative | |
| Edward Stanhope |  | 14 January 1887 | 11 August 1892 | Conservative | |
| Henry Campbell-Bannerman | | 18 August 1892 | 21 June 1895 | Liberal | |
| The Marquess of Lansdowne |  | 4 July 1895 | 12 November 1900 | Liberal Unionist | |
| St John Brodrick |  | 12 November 1900 | 6 October 1903 | Conservative | |
| 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 | |
| J. E. B. Seely |  | 12 June 1912 | 30 March 1914 | Liberal | |
| H. H. Asquith (while Prime Minister) |  | 30 March 1914 | 5 August 1914 | Liberal | |
| The Earl Kitchener |  | 5 August 1914 | 5 June 1916 | none (Coalition) | |
| David Lloyd George |  | 6 July[1] 1916 | 5 December 1916 | Liberal (Coalition) | |
| The Earl of Derby |  | 10 December 1916 | 18 April 1918 | Conservative (Coalition) | |
| The Viscount Milner |  | 18 April 1918 | 10 January 1919 | Conservative (Coalition) | |
| Winston Churchill |  | 10 January 1919 | 13 February 1921 | Liberal (Coalition) | |
| Sir Laming Worthington-Evans, Bt | 60px | 13 February 1921 | 19 October 1922 | Conservative (Coalition) | |
| The Earl of Derby | | 24 October 1922 | 22 January 1924 | Conservative | |
| Stephen Walsh |  | 22 January 1924 | 3 November 1924 | Labour | |
| Sir Laming Worthington-Evans, Bt | 60px | 6 November 1924 | 4 June 1929 | Conservative | |
| Thomas Shaw |  | 7 June 1929 | 24 August 1931 | Labour | |
| The Marquess of Crewe |  | 25 August 1931 | 5 November 1931 | Liberal (National Govt) | |
| The Viscount Hailsham |  | 5 November 1931 | 7 June 1935 | Conservative (National Govt) | |
| The Viscount Halifax |  | 7 June 1935 | 22 November 1935 | Conservative (National Govt) | |
| Duff Cooper | 60px | 22 November 1935 | 28 May 1937 | Conservative (National Govt) | |
| Leslie Hore-Belisha |  | 28 May 1937 | 5 January 1940 | National Liberal (National Govt; War Govt) | |
| Oliver Stanley | 60px | 5 January 1940 | 11 May 1940 | Conservative (War Govt) | |
| Anthony Eden |  | 11 May 1940 | 22 December 1940 | Conservative (Coalition) | |
| David Margesson | | 22 December 1940 | 22 February 1942 | Conservative (Coalition) | |
| Sir P. J. Grigg |  | 22 February 1942 | 26 July 1945 | National (Coalition; Caretaker Govt) | |
| Jack Lawson | | 3 August 1945 | 4 October 1946 | Labour | |
| Frederick Bellenger | | 4 October 1946 | 7 October 1947 | Labour | |
| Emanuel Shinwell |  | 7 October 1947 | 28 February 1950 | Labour | |
| John Strachey |  | 28 February 1950 | 26 October 1951 | Labour | |
| Antony Head | | 31 October 1951 | 18 October 1956 | Conservative | |
| John Hare | | 18 October 1956 | 6 January 1958 | Conservative | |
| Christopher Soames | | 6 January 1958 | 27 July 1960 | Conservative | |
| John Profumo | | 27 July 1960 | 5 June 1963 | Conservative | |
| Joseph Godber | | 27 June 1963 | 21 October 1963 | Conservative | |
| James Ramsden | | 21 October 1963 | 1 April 1964 | Conservative | |
See alsoEdit
ReferencesEdit
- ↑ Times, 7 July 1916
External linksEdit
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