A defence minister is a cabinetofficial position in charge of a ministry of defense, which regulates the armed forces in sovereign states. The role of a defence minister varies considerably from country to country; in some the minister is only in charge of general budget matters and procurement of equipment; while in others the minister is also, in addition, an integral part of the operational military chain of command. A defence minister could be titled Minister for Defense, Minister of National Defense, Secretary of Defense, Secretary of State for Defence or some similar variation.
Background
Prior to the 20th century, there were in most countries separate ministerial posts for the land forces and the naval forces. In the interwar period, some countries created a separate ministerial post in charge of the air forces. After the end of World War II, the trend in most countries was to merge the several separate ministerial posts into a single defence minister in charge of all the armed forces. Another common reform which occurred at the end of World War II was to place the defence minister in a national security council, war cabinet, or a "Kitchen Cabinet", which allows the head of government or head of state to coordinate military, diplomatic and economic activities. The defence ministry in some countries is a very important ministry, sometimes considered more important than the foreign ministry. If war is common for a country, the defence minister's position is often assumed by the head of government.. In some nations there is a strong convention that the defence minister has to be a civilian, in order to highlight civilian control over the military, though it's not uncommon for the defence minister to have some military experience. The People's Republic of China'sMinistry of National Defence is relatively powerless; it does not have command over the People's Liberation Army. Command of the military belongs in the party and in the state Central Military Commission ; the MND exists primarily as a liaison and protocol office to communicate with foreign militaries. Essentially, the MND exists only because most other nations have defence ministries, and for protocol and liaison purposes, the PRC needs to have an institution corresponding with those of other governments. However, the Minister of National Defence is always a CMC member and usually a Vice Chairman and State Councillor, and this is an authoritative position.
