Minister of Defence (France)
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French government cabinet member charged with running the military of France.
A "Secretary of State for War" was one of the four specialised secretaries of state established in France in 1589. This Secretary of State was responsible for the Army. In 1791, the Secretary of State became "Minister of War". Along with the other ministerial positions, it was abolished in 1794 and restored the next year. In the 1930s, the position was frequently named "Minister of War and of National Defence". After the Second World War, the War Ministry merged with the Ministry of the Marine, with a Minister of National Defence (from 1974 simply Minister of Defence) directing the entire military.
The current Minister of Defence is Michèle Alliot-Marie.
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