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{{Short description|1947–1964 United Kingdom government ministry responsible for coordinating national defence}}
{{Use British English|date=August 2023}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2023}}{{single source|date=February 2023}}
{{Infobox government agency
|agency_name = Ministry of Defence
|motto =
⚫
|logo = File:Royal Coat of Arms of the United Kingdom (HM Government).svg
|logo_width =
|logo_caption = Coat of Arms of the United Kingdom (HM Government)
|seal =
|seal_width =
|seal_caption =
|preceding1 =
|jurisdiction = [[Government of the United Kingdom]]
|headquarters = Ministry of Defence building <br />[[Whitehall]]<br />[[London]]
|formed = 1947
|dissolved = 1964
|superseding = [[Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom)|Ministry of Defence (from 1964)]]
|employees =
|budget =
|chief1_name =
|chief1_position =
|chief2_name =
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|parent_agency = [[HM Government]]
|child1_agency =
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}}

The '''Ministry of Defence''' was a department of the [[British Government]] responsible for defence and the [[British Armed Forces]].
The '''Ministry of Defence''' was a department of the [[British Government]] responsible for defence and the [[British Armed Forces]].


==History==
==History==
Before the [[Second World War]] defence policy was co-ordinated by the [[Committee of Imperial Defence]] (CID). In 1936 the post of [[Minister for Co-ordination of Defence]] was established, though he did not have a department and the heads of the three services - the [[First Lord of the Admiralty]] for the [[Royal Navy]], the [[Secretary of State for War]] for the [[British Army|Army]] and the [[Secretary of State for Air]] for the [[Royal Air Force]] - continued to attend [[Cabinet of the United Kingdom|Cabinet]].
Prior to the [[Second World War]] defence policy was co-ordinated by the [[Committee of Imperial Defence]] (CID). In 1936 the post of [[Minister for Co-ordination of Defence]] was established, though he did not have a department and the political heads of the three services—the [[First Lord of the Admiralty]] for the [[Royal Navy]], the [[Secretary of State for War]] for the [[British Army|Army]] and the [[Secretary of State for Air]] for the [[Royal Air Force]]—continued to attend [[Cabinet of the United Kingdom|Cabinet]].


On the outbreak of war in 1939 the CID was suspended and on 3 April 1940<ref>Butler and Butler, p. 15</ref> the office of Minister for Co-ordination of Defence was abolished. When [[Winston Churchill]] became Prime Minister in May 1940 he personally assumed responsibility for inter-service co-ordination, with the title of [[Minister of Defence (United Kingdom)|Minister of Defence]], and the heads of the three services were not included in the [[Churchill War Ministry|War Cabinet]]. The Minister had few departments, the most famous of which was [[MD1]] which allowed unusual ideas for weapons to be developed under the patronage of Churchill with less interference from the services and got the nickname "Churchill's Toyshop".
On the outbreak of war in 1939 the CID was suspended and on 3 April 1940<ref>Butler and Butler, p. 15</ref> the office of Minister for Co-ordination of Defence was abolished. When [[Winston Churchill]] became Prime Minister in May 1940 he personally assumed responsibility for inter-service co-ordination, with the title of [[Minister of Defence (United Kingdom)|Minister of Defence]], and the heads of the three services were not included in the [[Churchill War Ministry|War Cabinet]]. The Minister had few departments, the most famous of which was [[MD1]] which allowed unusual ideas for weapons to be developed under the patronage of Churchill with less interference from the services and got the nickname "Churchill's Toyshop".
Line 8: Line 37:
After [[Victory in Europe Day|the end of the war in Europe]] in May 1945 the First Lord and the Secretaries for War and Air rejoined the Cabinet, though the Prime Minister remained Minister of Defence.
After [[Victory in Europe Day|the end of the war in Europe]] in May 1945 the First Lord and the Secretaries for War and Air rejoined the Cabinet, though the Prime Minister remained Minister of Defence.


The suspension of the CID was made permanent by a [[White Paper]] (Cmd. 6923) in 1946, and from 4 October that year the service chiefs were no longer in the Cabinet<ref>Butler and Butler, p. 21</ref><ref name="b&b22"/>. The former First Lord of the Admiralty [[Albert Victor Alexander, 1st Earl Alexander of Hillsborough|A.V. Alexander]] was appointed Minister of Defence on 20 December 1946<ref name="b&b22">Butler and Butler, p. 22</ref> and the Ministry of Defence was formally established on 1 January 1947 by the [[Ministry of Defence Act 1946]]. The Ministry was responsible for liasing between the individual service ministries and co-ordinating defence policy.
The suspension of the CID was made permanent by a [[White Paper]] (Cmd. 6923) in 1946, and from 4 October that year the service chiefs were no longer in the Cabinet.<ref>Butler and Butler, p. 21</ref><ref name="b&b22" /> The former First Lord of the Admiralty [[Albert Victor Alexander, 1st Earl Alexander of Hillsborough|A.V. Alexander]] was appointed Minister of Defence on 20 December 1946<ref name="b&b22">Butler and Butler, p. 22</ref> and the Ministry of Defence was formally established on 1 January 1947 by the [[Ministry of Defence Act 1946]]. The Ministry was responsible for liaising between the individual service ministries and co-ordinating defence policy.


Under the [[Defence (Transfer of Functions) Act 1964]] the Ministry of Defence was merged with the [[Admiralty]], the [[War Office]] and the [[Air Ministry]] to form the current [[Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom)|Ministry of Defence]] on 1 April 1964; the Minister of Defence became [[Secretary of State for Defence]].
Under the [[Defence (Transfer of Functions) Act 1964]] the Ministry of Defence was merged with the [[British Admiralty|Admiralty]], the [[War Office]] and the [[Air Ministry]] to form the current [[Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom)|Ministry of Defence]] on 1 April 1964; the Minister of Defence became [[Secretary of State for Defence]].


==List of ministers of defence, 1940–1964==
==Ministers of Defence, 1940-1964<ref>Butler and Butler, p. 58</ref>==
⚫
{{Main|Minister of Defence (United Kingdom)}}


⚫
==Permanent secretaries to the Ministry of Defence, 1947–1964==
⚫
{{main|Minister of Defence (United Kingdom)}}
{{main|Permanent Under-Secretary of State for Defence}}

* 10 May 1940: [[Winston Churchill]], ''also Prime Minister''
* 27 July 1945: [[Clement Attlee]], ''also Prime Minister''
* 20 December 1946: [[Albert Victor Alexander, 1st Earl Alexander of Hillsborough|A.V. Alexander]] (created [[Viscount Alexander of Hillsborough]] on 27 January 1950)
* 28 February 1950: [[Emanuel Shinwell]]
* 28 October 1951: [[Winston Churchill]], ''also Prime Minister''
* 1 March 1952: [[Harold Alexander, 1st Earl Alexander of Tunis|The Viscount Alexander of Tunis]] (created [[Earl Alexander of Tunis]] on 14 March 1952)
* 18 October 1954: [[Harold Macmillan]]
* 7 April 1955: [[Selwyn Lloyd]]
* 20 December 1955: [[Walter Monckton|Sir Walter Monckton]]
* 18 October 1956: [[Antony Head, 1st Viscount Head|Antony Head]]
* 13 January 1957: [[Duncan Sandys]]
* 14 October 1959: [[Harold Watkinson]]
* 13 July 1962: [[Peter Thorneycroft]]

==Permanent Secretaries to the Ministry of Defence, 1947-1964<ref>Butler and Butler, p. 302</ref>==

* 1947: [[Henry Wilson Smith|Sir Henry Wilson Smith]]
* 1948: [[Harold Parker (civil servant)|Sir Harold Parker]]
* 1956: [[Richard Royle Powell|Sir Richard Powell]]
* 1960: [[Edward Playfair|Sir Edward Playfair]]
* 1961: [[Robert Heatlie Scott|Sir Robert Scott]]
* 1964: [[Henry Hardman|Sir Henry Hardman]]

⚫
==Parliamentary Secretaries to the Ministry of Defence, 1952-1964==


==Parliamentary secretaries to the Ministry of Defence, 1952–1964==
* 28 February 1952: [[Nigel Birch, Baron Rhyl|Nigel Birch]]<ref name="b&b24">Butler and Butler, p. 24</ref>
* 28 February 1952: [[Nigel Birch, Baron Rhyl|Nigel Birch]]<ref name="b&b24">Butler and Butler, p. 24</ref>
* 18 October 1954: [[Peter Carington, 6th Baron Carrington|The Lord Carrington]]<ref name="b&b24"/>
* 18 October 1954: [[Peter Carington, 6th Baron Carrington|The Lord Carrington]]<ref name="b&b24" />
* 26 May 1956: [[Archibald Acheson, 6th Earl of Gosford|The Earl of Gosford]]<ref name="b&b24"/>
* 26 May 1956: [[Archibald Acheson, 6th Earl of Gosford|The Earl of Gosford]]<ref name="b&b24" />
* 18 January 1957: [[Stormont Mancroft, 2nd Baron Mancroft|The Lord Mancroft]]<ref>Butler and Butler, p. 27</ref>
* 18 January 1957: [[Stormont Mancroft, 2nd Baron Mancroft|The Lord Mancroft]]<ref>Butler and Butler, p. 27</ref>
* 11 June 1957: ''office vacant''.
* 11 June 1957: ''office vacant''.


==References==
==See also==
* [[Secretary of State for Defence]]
* [[Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom)]]


==References==
{{reflist}}
{{reflist}}


==Sources==
==Sources==
⚫
* David Butler and Gareth Butler, ''Twentieth Century British Political Facts 1900–2000'', eighth edition, Macmillan, 2000


[[Category:Defunct departments of the Government of the United Kingdom]]
⚫
* David Butler and Gareth Butler, ''Twentieth Century British Political Facts 1900-2000'', eighth edition, Macmillan, 2000

⚫
{{DEFAULTSORT:Defence, Ministry of}}
⚫
[[Category:Defunct departments of the United Kingdom Government]]
[[Category:1947 establishments in the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:1947 establishments in the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:1964 disestablishments]]
[[Category:1964 disestablishments in the United Kingdom]]
⚫
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ministry of Defence (1947-1964)}}

Latest revision as of 15:29, 18 October 2023

Ministry of Defence
Coat of Arms of the United Kingdom (HM Government)
Agency overview
Formed1947
Dissolved1964
Superseding agency
JurisdictionGovernment of the United Kingdom
HeadquartersMinistry of Defence building
Whitehall
London
Parent agencyHM Government

The Ministry of Defence was a department of the British Government responsible for defence and the British Armed Forces.

History

[edit]

Prior to the Second World War defence policy was co-ordinated by the Committee of Imperial Defence (CID). In 1936 the post of Minister for Co-ordination of Defence was established, though he did not have a department and the political heads of the three services—the First Lord of the Admiralty for the Royal Navy, the Secretary of State for War for the Army and the Secretary of State for Air for the Royal Air Force—continued to attend Cabinet.

On the outbreak of war in 1939 the CID was suspended and on 3 April 1940[1] the office of Minister for Co-ordination of Defence was abolished. When Winston Churchill became Prime Minister in May 1940 he personally assumed responsibility for inter-service co-ordination, with the title of Minister of Defence, and the heads of the three services were not included in the War Cabinet. The Minister had few departments, the most famous of which was MD1 which allowed unusual ideas for weapons to be developed under the patronage of Churchill with less interference from the services and got the nickname "Churchill's Toyshop".

After the end of the war in Europe in May 1945 the First Lord and the Secretaries for War and Air rejoined the Cabinet, though the Prime Minister remained Minister of Defence.

The suspension of the CID was made permanent by a White Paper (Cmd. 6923) in 1946, and from 4 October that year the service chiefs were no longer in the Cabinet.[2][3] The former First Lord of the Admiralty A.V. Alexander was appointed Minister of Defence on 20 December 1946[3] and the Ministry of Defence was formally established on 1 January 1947 by the Ministry of Defence Act 1946. The Ministry was responsible for liaising between the individual service ministries and co-ordinating defence policy.

Under the Defence (Transfer of Functions) Act 1964 the Ministry of Defence was merged with the Admiralty, the War Office and the Air Ministry to form the current Ministry of Defence on 1 April 1964; the Minister of Defence became Secretary of State for Defence.

List of ministers of defence, 1940–1964

[edit]
Main article: Minister of Defence (United Kingdom)

Permanent secretaries to the Ministry of Defence, 1947–1964

[edit]
Main article: Permanent Under-Secretary of State for Defence

Parliamentary secretaries to the Ministry of Defence, 1952–1964

[edit]

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Butler and Butler, p. 15
  2. ^ Butler and Butler, p. 21
  3. ^ a b Butler and Butler, p. 22
  4. ^ a b c Butler and Butler, p. 24
  5. ^ Butler and Butler, p. 27

Sources

[edit]
  • David Butler and Gareth Butler, Twentieth Century British Political Facts 1900–2000, eighth edition, Macmillan, 2000
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