Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom) facts for kids
Logo
|
|
 MoD Main Building, Westminster |
|
| Department overview | |
|---|---|
| Formed | 1 April 1964 (as modern department) |
| Jurisdiction | Government of the United Kingdom |
| Headquarters | Main Building, Whitehall, Westminster, London 51°30′14″N 0°07′30″W / 51.5040°N 0.1249°W |
| Employees |
|
| Annual budget | £55 billion; FY 2021 |
| Secretary of State responsible | |
| Department executives |
|
| Child agencies |
|
The Ministry of Defence (MOD or MoD) is a special part of the Government of the United Kingdom. Its main job is to put the government's plans for keeping the country safe into action. It also acts as the main office for all of the British Armed Forces.
The MOD says its most important goals are to protect the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and its interests. It also works to make the world more peaceful and stable. The MOD also handles the daily running of the armed forces. This includes planning for emergencies and buying new equipment for defence.
Contents
What the MOD Does
The MOD's spending, how it is run, and its plans are checked by a group called the Defence Select Committee. This helps make sure everything is done correctly. However, a special part of the MOD, called Defence Intelligence, is checked by a different group. This group is the Intelligence and Security Committee of Parliament.
How the MOD Started
Early Ideas for Defence
In the 1920s and 1930s, people in the British government looked back at World War I. They realised that the three parts of the armed forces needed to work together better. These parts were the Royal Navy, the British Army, and the Royal Air Force.
At first, the idea of one big Ministry of Defence was turned down in 1921. But in 1923, a group called the Chiefs of Staff Committee was created. This group helped the different services work together.
Planning for War
As countries started getting ready for war again in the 1930s, Stanley Baldwin created a new job. This job was called the Minister for Co-ordination of Defence. Ernle Chatfield, 1st Baron Chatfield held this role until 1940. His success was limited because he didn't have much control over the existing military departments. He also didn't have a lot of political power.
The Ministry During World War II
When Winston Churchill became Prime Minister in 1940, he created the job of Minister of Defence. This person would be in charge of the Chiefs of Staff Committee. They would also help organise all defence matters. The Prime Minister held this job during the war.
After the war, in 1946, Clement Attlee's government passed a law. This law created the Ministry of Defence as a formal department. After 1946, the leaders of the Navy, Army, and Air Force had to report to the new Secretary of State for Defence. This new Secretary had a seat in the government's main decision-making group, the Cabinet. The leaders of the three services still managed their own forces. However, they no longer attended Cabinet meetings.
Modern Ministry of Defence
From 1946 to 1964, five different government departments handled defence. These were the Admiralty (for the Navy), the War Office (for the Army), the Air Ministry (for the Air Force), the Ministry of Aviation, and an earlier version of the Ministry of Defence.
In 1964, these departments all joined together. Later, in 1971, the defence parts of the Ministry of Aviation Supply also joined the Ministry of Defence. This was done to stop the different military services from competing too much with each other. It also followed what the United States had done with their National Security Act of 1947.
See also
In Spanish: Ministerio de Defensa (Reino Unido) para niños
