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

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 post was re-instated in 1854 when the Secretary of State for the Colonies was created as a separate position.

In the 19th 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 the "Kitchener Wants You" posters. 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 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

NamePortrait 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 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 St John Brodrick 12 November 1900 6 October 1903 Irish Unionist Arthur Balfour H. O. Arnold-Forster 6 October 1903 4 December 1905 Liberal Unionist Richard Haldane 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 30 March 1914 5 August 1914 Liberal Herbert Kitchener, 1st Earl Kitchener 5 August 1914 5 June 1916 none H. H. Asquith David Lloyd George 6 JulyTimes, 7 July 1916 1916 5 December 1916 Liberal Edward Stanley, 17th Earl of Derby 10 December 1916 18 April 1918 Conservative David Lloyd George Alfred Milner, 1st Viscount Milner 18 April 1918 10 January 1919 Conservative Winston Churchill 10 January 1919 13 February 1921 Liberal Sir Laming Worthington-Evans, 1st Baronet 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 Sir Laming Worthington-Evans, 1st Baronet 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 Douglas Hogg, 1st Viscount Hailsham 5 November 1931 7 June 1935 Conservative Ramsay MacDonald E. F. L. Wood, 3rd Viscount Halifax 7 June 1935 22 November 1935 Conservative Stanley Baldwin Duff Cooper 22 November 1935 28 May 1937 Conservative Leslie Hore-Belisha 28 May 1937 5 January 1940 National Liberal Neville Chamberlain Oliver Stanley 5 January 1940 11 May 1940 Conservative Anthony Eden 11 May 1940 22 December 1940 Conservative P.M. Min.Defence Winston Churchill 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

References

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