Minister of Defence (Austenasia)

Minister of Defence
Logo of the Ministry of Defence
Incumbent Lord Hunter Prater, Duke of Dixie since 1 February 2022
Ministry of Defence
Appointer	The Monarch on the advice of the Prime Minister

The Minister of Defence of Austenasia is the member of Cabinet who is in charge of the Ministry of Defence of the Empire of Austenasia. The Minister of Defence is therefore responsible for administration and funding of the Austenasian Armed Forces and the defence policy of the Empire.

List of Ministers of Defence

Number	Picture	Name	Political party	Took office	Left office	Notes
1		Lord General William K., 2nd Duke of Royton, KOR, KCA, DSC	Independent (considered a Conservative militarist)	23 May 2009	8 Mar 2010	Appointed Minister of Defence by Act of Parliament upon the founding of the Ministry. Fought in the Skirmish of the Treasury. Held office during the foundation of the Imperial Navy and the Imperial Air Force. Removed from office upon the outbreak of the Austenasian Civil War. Confirmed in position of Minister of Defence by Cabinet on 1 January 2010.
2		HIH Crown Prince Jonathan	Independent (considered a Social liberal monarchist)	8 Mar 2010	2 Jan 2011	Appointed Minister of Defence by Act of Parliament upon the outbreak of the Austenasian Civil War. Held office during the dissolution of the Imperial Air Force and Imperial Navy. Co-ordinated the Esmondian war effort and fought in the Battle of Carshalton Park, and held office during the formation and dissolution of the Austenasian Imperial Marine Corps. Held office during the War of the Orlian Reunification but delegated powers and duties to Lord William.
3		Lord Marshal William K., 2nd Baron of Zephyria	Independent (considered a Conservative militarist)	2 Jan 2011	4 March 2015	Elected to position of Minister of Defence by the Cabinet, and confirmed as Minister of Defence by Emperor Declan I on 21 September 2011. Held office during the January 2011 reforms of the Austenasian Army and the re-establishment of the Imperial Air Force and Imperial Navy, and mobilised Legio I Britannica in response to the August 2011 London riots.
4		Lady Admiral Elizabeth Lewis, Duchess of Bernardston	Imperial Party	4 March 2015	5 Feb 2018	Appointed Minister of Defence by Emperor Jonathan I following the March 2015 general election. Held office during the re-establishment of the Imperial Navy. Resigned so as to better focus on other positions.
5		Lord John Gordon, Viscount of Thetford	Imperial Party	5 Feb 2018	29 Jul 2018	Appointed Minister of Defence by Emperor Jonathan I after the resignation of Lord Admiral Lewis. Resigned himself just under six months later.
6		Admiral Shiro Mephistopheles, MAO	Independent	29 Jul 2018	14 Jan 2019	Appointed Minister of Defence by Emperor Jonathan I after the resignation of Lord John Gordon. The first and only Cabinet minister to not be an Austenasian national (albeit enlisted in the AAF) for his first eight days in office, prior to being granted non-residential subjectship by Parliament. Resigned due to a lack of peacetime opportunities for activity.
7		Lord Anthony Clark, Baron of Amerdansk	Independent (considered left-wing)	14 Jan 2019	20 Mar 2019	Appointed Minister of Defence by Emperor Jonathan I after the resignation of Admiral Thomas. Replaced after dropping out of contact with the imperial government; holds the record for the shortest period of time in office.
8		HG Bradley, Duke of Dullahan	Whig Party	20 Mar 2019	13 Feb 2020	Appointed Minister of Defence by the Monarch. Held office for a relatively uneventful period of just under a year
9		Lord İsmetcan Saraç, Count of Bithynia	Fatherland Party (until 27 May 2020)	13 Feb 2020	5 Jun 2020	Appointed Minister of Defence by the Monarch at the nomination of newly-elected Prime Minister, Prince Dionisiy. Held office during Dionisiy's brief premiership and resigned from the Cabinet shortly afterwards.
10		Lord John Gordon, Viscount of Thetford	Independent	5 Jun 2020	1 Feb 2022	Appointed Minister of Defence by the Monarch. Served concurrently as Prime Minister until September 2021. Oversaw the restructuring of the Austenasian Armed Forces to a network of local reserve militias, having gradually become a nominal standing military comprised primarily of troops enlisted several years ago and unlikely to be able to be mobilised.
11		Lord Hunter Prater, Duke of Dixie	Arete Party	1 Feb 2022	Incumbent	Appointed Minister of Defence by the Monarch.