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 WarRoyal Arms as used by His Majesty s GovernmentWar OfficeMember ofBritish Cabinet Privy CouncilSeatWestminster LondonAppointerThe British Monarch on advice of the Prime Minister Term lengthNo fixed termFormation11 July 1794First holderHenry DundasFinal holderJames RamsdenAbolished1 April 1964DeputyUnder Secretary of State for WarEdward Cardwell later Viscount Cardwell Secretary of State for War from 1868 to 1874 architect of the Cardwell ReformsHistoryThe 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 stateSecretary of State for War 1794 1801 Secretary Term of office Political party Prime MinisterHenry 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 MinisterHenry 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 DerbyJonathan Peel 26 February 1858 11 June 1859 ConservativeSidney Herbert 18 June 1859 22 July 1861 Liberal Henry John Temple 3rd Viscount PalmerstonSir George Cornewall Lewis 2nd Baronet 23 July 1861 13 April 1863 LiberalGeorge Robinson 3rd Earl de Grey and 2nd Earl of Ripon 28 April 1863 16 February 1866 LiberalJohn Russell 1st Earl RussellSpencer Cavendish Marquess of Hartington 16 February 1866 26 June 1866 LiberalJonathan Peel 6 July 1866 8 March 1867 Conservative 14th Earl of DerbyJohn Pakington 1st Baron Hampton 8 March 1867 1 December 1868 ConservativeBenjamin DisraeliEdward Cardwell 9 December 1868 17 February 1874 Liberal William Ewart GladstoneGathorne Hardy 21 February 1874 2 April 1878 Conservative Benjamin DisraeliFrederick Stanley 2 April 1878 21 April 1880 ConservativeHugh Childers 28 April 1880 16 December 1882 Liberal William Ewart GladstoneSpencer Cavendish Marquess of Hartington 16 December 1882 9 June 1885 LiberalW H Smith 24 June 1885 21 January 1886 Conservative Robert Gascoyne Cecil 3rd Marquess of SalisburyGathorne Gathorne Hardy 1st Earl of Cranbrook 21 January 1886 6 February 1886 ConservativeHenry Campbell Bannerman 6 February 1886 20 July 1886 Liberal William Ewart GladstoneW H Smith 3 August 1886 14 January 1887 Conservative Robert Gascoyne Cecil 3rd Marquess of SalisburyEdward Stanhope 14 January 1887 11 August 1892 ConservativeHenry Campbell Bannerman 18 August 1892 21 June 1895 Liberal William Ewart GladstoneArchibald Primrose 5th Earl of RoseberyHenry 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 UnionistArthur Balfour Unionist Coalition H O Arnold Forster 6 October 1903 4 December 1905 Liberal UnionistRichard Haldane Viscount Haldane from 1911 10 December 1905 12 June 1912 Liberal Henry Campbell BannermanH H AsquithJ E B Seely 12 June 1912 30 March 1914 LiberalH H Asquith while Prime Minister 30 March 1914 5 August 1914 LiberalHerbert Kitchener 1st Earl Kitchener 5 August 1914 5 June 1916 noneH H Asquith Coalition David Lloyd George 6 July 1916 5 December 1916 LiberalEdward 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 ConservativeWinston Churchill 10 January 1919 13 February 1921 LiberalLaming Worthington Evans 13 February 1921 19 October 1922 ConservativeEdward Stanley 17th Earl of Derby 24 October 1922 22 January 1924 Conservative Bonar LawStanley BaldwinStephen Walsh 22 January 1924 3 November 1924 Labour Ramsay MacDonaldLaming Worthington Evans 6 November 1924 4 June 1929 Conservative Stanley BaldwinThomas Shaw 7 June 1929 24 August 1931 Labour Ramsay MacDonaldRobert 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 ConservativeLeslie 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 ConservativeAnthony Eden 11 May 1940 22 December 1940 Conservative P M Min DefenceWinston Churchill War Coalition David Margesson 22 December 1940 22 February 1942 ConservativeP J Grigg 22 February 1942 26 July 1945 NationalJack Lawson 3 August 1945 4 October 1946 Labour Attlee AttleeFrederick Bellenger 4 October 1946 7 October 1947 Labour A V AlexanderEmanuel Shinwell 7 October 1947 28 February 1950 LabourJohn Strachey 28 February 1950 26 October 1951 Labour ShinwellAntony Head 31 October 1951 18 October 1956 Conservative Churchill ChurchillH AlexanderMacmillanEden LloydMoncktonJohn Hare 18 October 1956 6 January 1958 Conservative HeadMacmillan SandysChristopher Soames 6 January 1958 27 July 1960 ConservativeWatkinsonJohn Profumo 27 July 1960 5 June 1963 ConservativeThorneycroftJoseph Godber 27 June 1963 21 October 1963 ConservativeJames Ramsden 21 October 1963 1 April 1964 Conservative Douglas HomeSee alsoSecretary at WarPrincipal political leaders of the English British Armed Forces Royal Navy British Army Royal Air Force Co ordination1628 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 ReferencesTimes 7 July 1916External linksWikimedia Commons has media related to Secretaries of State for War of the United Kingdom, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library, article, read, download, free, free download, mp3, video, mp4, 3gp, jpg, jpeg, gif, png, picture, music, song, movie, book, game, games, 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