1
type: Mandate
authorizes: be-006111
general description: The Ministry of War originated with the independence of Belgium as one of the five ministerial departments. Until 1912 officers often exercised the job of Secretary of War, afterwards this was hardly the case. Besides the minister also the King (as commander of the army) plays a role in military decision-making, and up to the Second World War the rulers effectively exerted influence on the policy of the army. In 1920 the department was given its current name, the Ministry of Defence. The institutional history of the ministry is characterised by many large and small reorganisations, especially after the First World War (including in the 1920s and in 1950, 1963, 1974, 2000-2002). One of the reasons was the interweaving of different tasks and responsibilities and the appointment of civilians as well as soldiers, because of the ambiguity between administrative and purely military functions of the Department. With the Copernicus Reform (2000-2002) the ministry was not (yet) transformed into an FPS, though the structure is thoroughly adapted to eliminate the overlaps and intermediate levels of command, and to reduce staff. Today, making the four forces (Army, Air Force, Navy and Medical Service) with their resp. services is part of a unitary structure. Various general management and staff departments are responsible for such things as budget, personnel, legal support and mediation, but also intelligence and security, strategy, operations and training, ...