Ministry of the Navy (France)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Ministry of the Navy (French: Ministère de la Marine) was a section of the French government – apart from the Ministry of War – that was in charge of the French navy and colonies.
Ministère de la Marine | |
Hôtel de la Marine, which housed the Ministry | |
Ministry overview | |
---|---|
Formed | 7 March 1669 (1669-03-07) |
Dissolved | 22 October 1947 (1947-10-22) |
Superseding agency | |
Jurisdiction | French colonial empire |
Headquarters | Hôtel de la Marine 48°52′0.4″N 2°19′23.1″E |
Minister responsible |
The ministry combined the administration of the navy, the colonies like New France and seaborne trade helping for example the French East India Company. A widely held view at the time was that for states to be powerful, wealthy and prestigious, colonies in the New World need to be maintained for their consequent trade. The maintenance of colonies through naval operations not only served to improve the stature of the state, but was also helpful in destroying their European rivals in North America.[1]
After the Second World War, the Ministry of the Navy was merged with the War Ministry, absorbing the role of the Minister of the Navy and Colonies, with a Minister of National Defence directing the entire military French forces.