| Secretary | Began | Ended |
| Michel le Tellier | 1643 | 1666 |
| François Michel le Tellier, marquis de Louvois | 1666 | 16 July 1691 |
| Louis-François le Tellier de Louvois, marquis de Barbezieux | 16 July 1691 | 5 January 1701 |
| Michel Chamillart | 5 January 1701 | 9 June 1709 |
| Daniel Voysin de la Noiraye | 9 June 1709 | 14 September 1715 |
| Claude Louis Hector de Villars | 1 October 1715 | 24 September 1718 |
| Claude le Blanc | 24 September 1718 | 1 July 1723 |
| François Victor le Tonnelier de Breteuil | 1 July 1723 | 19 June 1726 |
| Claude le Blanc | 19 June 1726 | 1728 |
| Nicolas Prosper Bauyn d'Angervilliers | July 1728 | February 1740 |
| François Victor le Tonnelier de Breteuil | February 1740 | 7 January 1743 |
| Marc Pierre de Voyer de Paulmy, comte d'Argenson | 7 January 1743 | 1 February 1757 |
| Marc-René de Voyer, marquis de Paulmy | 1 February 1757 | 3 March 1758 |
| Charles Louis Auguste Fouquet, duc de Belle-Isle | 3 March 1758 | 27 January 1761 |
| Étienne François, duc de Choiseul | 27 January 1761 | 24 December 1770 |
| Louis François, marquis de Monteynard | 26 January 1771 | 27 January 1774 |
| Emmanuel Armand de Vignerot du Plessis de Richelieu, duc d'Aiguillon | 27 January 1774 | 2 June 1774 |
| Louis Nicolas Victor de Félix d'Ollières, comte du Muy | 5 June 1774 | 10 October 1775 |
| Claude Louis, Comte de Saint-Germain | 27 October 1775 | 27 September 1777 |
| Alexandre Marie Léonor de Saint-Mauris de Montbarrey | 27 September 1777 | 19 December 1780 |
| Philippe Henri, marquis de Ségur | 23 December 1780 | 29 August 1787 |
| Louis Charles-Auguste le Tonnelier, baron de Breteuil | 29 August 1787 | 23 September 1787 |
| Athanase Louis Marie de Loménie, comte de Brienne | 23 September 1787 | 30 November 1788 |
| Louis Pierre de Chastenet, comte de Puységur | 30 November 1788 | 13 July 1789 |
| Victor François, Duc de Broglie | 13 July 1789 | 16 July 1789 |
| Jean-Frédéric de la Tour du Pin-Gouvernet | 4 August 1789 | 16 November 1790 |
| Louis le Bègue du Presle Duportail | 16 November 1790 | 7 December 1791 |
| Minister | Began | Ended |
| Louis, comte de Narbonne-Lara | 7 December 1791 | 9 March 1792 |
| Pierre Marie de Grave | 9 March 1792 | 9 May 1792 |
| Joseph Marie Servan de Gerbey | 9 May 1792 | 13 June 1792 |
| Charles Dumouriez | 13 June 1792 | 18 June 1792 |
| Pierre August Lajard | 18 June 1792 | 23 July 1792 |
| Charles Franqueville d'Abancourt | 23 July 1792 | 10 August 1792 |
| Joseph Marie Servan de Gerbey | 10 August 1792 | 3 October 1792 |
| Pierre Henri Hélène Marie Lebrun-Tondu | 3 October 1792 | 18 October 1792 |
| Jean-Nicolas Pache | 18 October 1792 | 4 February 1793 |
| Pierre Riel de Beurnonville | 4 February 1793 | 1 April 1793 |
| Pierre Henri Hélène Marie Lebrun-Tondu | 1 April 1793 | 4 April 1793 |
| Jean Baptiste Noël Bouchotte | 4 April 1793 | 20 April 1794 |
| none | 20 April 1794 | 3 November 1795 |
| Jean-Baptiste Aubert-Dubayet | 3 November 1795 | 8 February 1796 |
| Claude Louis Petiet | 8 February 1796 | 15 July 1797 |
| Lazare Hoche | 15 July 1797 | 22 July 1797 |
| Barthélemy Louis Joseph Scherer | 22 July 1797 | 21 February 1799 |
| Louis Marie de Milet de Mureau | 21 February 1799 | 2 July 1799 |
| Jean-Baptiste Bernadotte | 2 July 1799 | 14 September 1799 |
| Edmond Louis Alexis Dubois-Crancé | 14 September 1799 | 10 November 1799 |
| Louis-Alexandre Berthier | 11 November 1799 | 2 April 1800 |
| Lazare Carnot | 2 April 1800 | 8 October 1800 |
| Louis-Alexandre Berthier, prince de Neuchâtel | 8 October 1800 | 19 August 1807 |
| Henri Clarke, duc de Feltre | 19 August 1807 | 1 April 1814 |
| Pierre-Antoine, comte Dupont de l'Étang | 3 April 1814 | 3 December 1814 |
| Nicolas Jean de Dieu Soult, duc de Dalmatie | 3 December 1814 | 11 March 1815 |
| Henri Clarke, duc de Feltre | 11 March 1815 | 20 March 1815 |
| Louis Nicolas Davout, duc d'Auerstadt | 20 March 1815 | 7 July 1815 |
| Laurent, comte de Gouvion de Saint-Cyr | 7 July 1815 | 26 September 1815 |
| Henri Clarke, duc de Feltre | 26 September 1815 | 12 September 1817 |
| Laurent, marquis de Gouvion de Saint-Cyr | 12 September 1817 | 19 November 1819 |
| Marie Victor Nicolas de Fay, marquis de La Tour-Maubourg | 19 November 1819 | 14 December 1821 |
| Claude Victor, duc de Bellune | 14 December 1821 | 23 March 1823 |
| Alexandre, vicomte Digeon | 23 March 1823 | 15 April 1823 |
| Claude Victor, duc de Bellune | 15 April 1823 | 19 October 1823 |
| Ange Hyacinthe Maxence, baron de Damas | 19 October 1823 | 4 August 1824 |
| Aimé, duc de Clermont-Tonnerre | 4 August 1824 | 4 January 1828 |
| Louis Victor de Blacquetot de Caux | 4 January 1828 | 8 August 1829 |
| Louis-Auguste-Victor, Count de Ghaisnes de Bourmont | 8 August 1829 | 31 July 1830 |
| Étienne Maurice, comte Gérard | 31 July 1830 | 17 November 1830 |
| Nicolas Jean de Dieu Soult, duc de Dalmatie | 17 November 1830 | 18 July 1834 |
| Étienne Maurice, comte Gérard | 18 July 1834 | 10 November 1834 |
| Simon Bernard | 10 November 1834 | 18 November 1834 |
| Édouard Adolphe Casimir Joseph Mortier, duc de Trévise | 18 November 1834 | 12 March 1835 |
| Henri Gauthier, comte de Rigny | 12 March 1835 | 30 April 1835 |
| Nicolas Joseph, marquis Maison | 30 April 1835 | 6 September 1836 |
| Simon Bernard | 6 September 1836 | 31 March 1839 |
| Amédée Louis Despans-Cubières | 31 March 1839 | 12 May 1839 |
| Antoine Virgile Schneider | 12 May 1839 | 1 March 1840 |
| Amédée Louis Despans-Cubières | 1 March 1840 | 29 October 1840 |
| Nicolas Jean de Dieu Soult, duc de Dalmatie | 29 October 1840 | 10 November 1845 |
| Alexandre Pierre Chevalier Moline de Saint-Yon | 10 November 1845 | 9 May 1847 |
| Camille Alphonse Trézel | 9 May 1847 | 24 February 1848 |
| Marie Alphonse Bedeau | 24 February 1848 | 25 February 1848 |
| Jacques Gervais, baron Subervie | 25 February 1848 | 20 March 1848 |
| Louis Eugène Cavaignac | 20 March 1848 | 5 April 1848 |
| François Arago | 5 April 1848 | 11 May 1848 |
| Jean-Baptiste Adolphe Charras | 11 May 1848 | 17 May 1848 |
| Louis Eugène Cavaignac | 17 May 1848 | 28 June 1848 |
| Louis Juchault de Lamoricière | 28 June 1848 | 20 December 1848 |
| Joseph Marcelin Rulhières | 20 December 1848 | 31 October 1849 |
| Alphonse Henri, comte d'Hautpoul | 31 October 1849 | 22 October 1850 |
| Jean-Paul, comte de Schramm | 22 October 1850 | 9 January 1851 |
| Auguste Étienne, comte Régnault de Saint-Jean d'Angély | 9 January 1851 | 24 January 1851 |
| Jacques Louis Randon | 24 January 1851 | 26 October 1851 |
| Jacques Leroy de Saint Arnaud | 26 October 1851 | 11 March 1854 |
| Jean-Baptiste Philibert Vaillant | 11 March 1854 | 5 May 1859 |
| Jacques Louis Randon | 5 May 1859 | 20 January 1867 |
| Adolphe Niel | 20 January 1867 | 13 August 1869 |
| Charles Rigault de Genouilly | 13 August 1869 | 21 August 1869 |
| Edmond Leboeuf | 21 August 1869 | 20 July 1870 |
| Pierre Charles Dejean | 20 July 1870 | 10 August 1870 |
| Charles Cousin-Montauban, Comte de Palikao | 10 August 1870 | 4 September 1870 |
| Adolphe Charles Le Flô | 4 September 1870 | 5 June 1871 |
| Ernest Courtot de Cissey | 5 June 1871 | 25 May 1873 |
| François Claude du Barail | 29 May 1873 | 22 May 1874 |
| Ernest Courtot de Cissey | 22 May 1874 | 15 August 1876 |
| Jean Auguste Berthaud | 15 August 1876 | 23 November 1877 |
| Gaétan de Grimaudet de Rochebouët | 23 November 1877 | 13 December 1877 |
| Jean-Louis Borel | 13 December 1877 | 16 May 1878 |
| Henri François Xavier Gresley | 16 May 1878 | 28 December 1879 |
| Jean Joseph Frédéric Adolphe Farre | 28 December 1879 | 14 November 1881 |
| Jean-Baptiste Campenon | 14 November 1881 | 26 January 1882 |
| Jean-Baptiste Billot | 30 January 1882 | 29 January 1883 |
| Jean Thibaudin | 31 January 1883 | 9 October 1883 |
| Jean-Baptiste Campenon | 9 October 1883 | 3 January 1885 |
| Jules Louis Lewal | 3 January 1885 | 6 April 1885 |
| Jean-Baptiste Campenon | 6 April 1885 | 7 January 1886 |
| Georges Boulanger | 7 January 1886 | 30 May 1887 |
| Théophile Adrien Ferron | 30 May 1887 | 12 December 1887 |
| François Auguste Logerot | 12 December 1887 | 3 April 1888 |
| Charles de Freycinet | 3 April 1888 | 11 January 1893 |
| Julien Léon Loizillon | 11 January 1893 | 3 December 1893 |
| Auguste Mercier | 3 December 1893 | 24 January 1895 |
| Émile Zurlinder | 28 January 1895 | 1 November 1895 |
| Godefroy Cavaignac | 1 November 1895 | 29 April 1896 |
| Jean-Baptiste Billot | 29 April 1896 | 28 June 1898 |
| Godefroy Cavaignac | 28 June 1898 | 5 September 1898 |
| Émile Zurlinden | 5 September 1898 | 17 September 1898 |
| Charles Chanoine | 17 September 1898 | 25 October 1898 |
| Édouard Locroy | 25 October 1898 | 1 November 1898 |
| Charles de Freycinet | 1 November 1898 | 6 May 1899 |
| Camille Krantz | 6 May 1899 | 22 June 1899 |
| Gaston, marquis de Gallifet | 22 June 1899 | 20 May 1900 |
| Louis André | 20 May 1900 | 14 November 1904 |
| Maurice Berteaux | 14 November 1904 | 12 November 1905 |
| Eugène Étienne | 12 November 1905 | 25 October 1906 |
| Georges Picquart | 25 October 1906 | 24 July 1909 |
| Jean Brun | 24 July 1909 | 23 February 1911 |
| Aristide Briand | 23 February 1911 | 2 March 1911 |
| Maurice Berteaux | 2 March 1911 | 21 May 1911 |
| François Louis Auguste Goiran | 27 May 1911 | 27 June 1911 |
| Adolphe Messimy | 27 June 1911 | 14 January 1912 |
| Alexandre Millerand | 14 January 1912 | 12 January 1913 |
| Albert Lebrun | 12 January 1913 | 21 January 1913 |
| Eugène Étienne | 21 January 1913 | 9 December 1913 |
| Joseph Noullens | 9 December 1913 | 9 June 1914 |
| Théophile Delcassé | 9 June 1914 | 13 June 1914 |
| Adolphe Messimy | 13 June 1914 | 26 August 1914 |
| Alexandre Millerand | 26 August 1914 | 29 October 1915 |
| Joseph Gallieni | 29 October 1915 | 16 March 1916 |
| Pierre Roques | 16 March 1916 | 12 December 1916 |
| Hubert Lyautey | 12 December 1916 | 14 March 1917 |
| Lucien Lacaze | 14 March 1917 | 20 March 1917 |
| Paul Painlevé | 20 March 1917 | 16 November 1917 |
| Georges Clemenceau | 16 November 1917 | 20 January 1920 |
| André Lefèvre | 20 January 1920 | 16 December 1920 |
| Flaminius Raiberti | 16 December 1920 | 16 January 1921 |
| Louis Barthou | 16 January 1921 | 15 January 1922 |
| André Maginot | 15 January 1922 | 14 June 1924 |
| Charles Nollet | 14 June 1924 | 17 April 1925 |
| Paul Painlevé | 17 April 1925 | 29 October 1925 |
| Édouard Daladier | 29 October 1925 | 28 November 1925 |
| Paul Painlevé | 28 November 1925 | 23 June 1926 |
| Adolphe Guillaumat | 23 June 1926 | 19 July 1926 |
| Paul Painlevé | 19 July 1926 | 3 November 1929 |
| André Maginot | 3 November 1929 | 21 February 1930 |
| René Besnard | 21 February 1930 | 2 March 1930 |
| André Maginot | 2 March 1930 | 13 December 1930 |
| Louis Barthou | 13 December 1930 | 27 January 1931 |
| André Maginot | 27 January 1931 | 6 January 1932 |
| André Tardieu | 14 January 1932 | 20 February 1932 |
| François Piétri | 20 February 1932 | 3 June 1932 |
| Joseph Paul-Boncour | 3 June 1932 | 18 December 1932 |
| Édouard Daladier | 18 December 1932 | 30 January 1934 |
| Jean Fabry | 30 January 1934 | 4 February 1934 |
| Joseph Paul-Boncour | 4 February 1934 | 9 February 1934 |
| Philippe Pétain | 9 February 1934 | 8 November 1934 |
| Louis Maurin | 8 November 1934 | 7 June 1935 |
| Jean Fabry | 7 June 1935 | 24 January 1936 |
| Louis Maurin | 24 January 1936 | 4 June 1936 |
| Édouard Daladier | 4 June 1936 | 18 May 1940 |
| Paul Reynaud | 18 May 1940 | 16 June 1940 |
Maxime Weygand (National Defence)
and Louis Colson (War) | 16 June 1940 | 6 September 1940 |
| Charles Huntziger | 6 September 1940 | 11 August 1941 |
| François Darlan | 11 August 1941 | 18 April 1942 |
| Eugène Bridoux | 18 April 1942 | 20 August 1944 |
