List of Foreign Ministers of France

In 1589, the four French Secretaries of State became specialized, with one of the secretaries responsible for foreign affairs. Since then, France has usually had a Foreign Minister, with a few brief exceptions.

Foreign Ministers of France, 1589-present

• January 1, 1589 - September 17, 1594: Louis de Revol
• December 30, 1594 - August 9, 1616: Nicolas de Neufville, Seigneur de Villeroy
• November 30, 1616 - April 24, 1617: Armand Jean du Plessis, Bishop of Luçon
• April 24, 1617 - March 11, 1626: Pierre Brulart, Vicomte de Puysieux, later Marquis de Sillery
• March 11, 1626 - May 2, 1629: Raymond Phelypeaux, Seigneur d'Herbault
• May 2, 1629 - March 18, 1632: Claude Bouthillier
• March 18, 1632 - June 23, 1643: Léon Bouthillier, Comte de Chavigny
• June 23, 1643 - April 3, 1663: Henri-Auguste de Loménie, Comte de Brienne
• April 3, 1663 - September 1, 1671: Hugues de Lionne[?], later Seigneur de Berny and Marquis de Fresne
• September 1, 1671 - November 18, 1679: Simon Arnaud, Marquis de Pomponne
• February 12, 1680 - 1691: Charles Colbert, Marquis de Croissy
• 1691 - 1699: Simon Arnaud, Marquis de Pomponne
• 1699 - September 23, 1715: Jean-Baptiste Colbert, Marquis de Torcy
• September 23, 1715 - September 1, 1718: Nicolas Du Blé, maréchal d'Huxelles
• September 1, 1718 - August 10, 1723: Guillaume, Cardinal Dubois
• August 16, 1723 - August 19, 1727: Charles-Jean-Baptiste de Fleuriau d'Armenonville, Comte de Morville
• August 19, 1727 - February 22, 1737: Germain-Louis de Chauvelin
• February 22, 1737 - April 26, 1744: Jean-Jacques Amelot de Chaillou
• November 18, 1744 - January 3, 1747: René-Louis de Voyer de Paulmy, Marquis d'Argenson
• January 18, 1747 - September 11, 1751: Louis Brulart de Sillery, Marquis de Puysieux
• September 11, 1751 - July 24, 1754: François-Dominique Barberie de Saint-Contest
• July 25, 1754 - June 29, 1757: Antoine-Louise de Rouille, Comte de Jouy
• June 29, 1757 - November 1, 1758: François-Joachim de Pierres, Abbé Bernis
• December 3, 1758 - October 13, 1761: Etienne-François, Duc de Choiseul-Stainville
• October 13, 1761 - April 8, 1766: César-Gabriel, Comte de Choiseul, later Duc de Praslin
• April 8, 1766 - December 24, 1770: Etienne-François, Duc de Choiseul-Stainville
• December 24, 1770 - June 6, 1771: Louis Phelypeaux, Comte de Saint-Florentin, later Duc de La Vrillere
• June 6, 1771 - June 3, 1774: Emmanuel-Armand de Vignerot, Duc d'Aiguillon
• July 21, 1774 - February 13, 1787: Charles Gravier, Comte de Vergennes
• February 15, 1787 - November 20, 1791: Armand-Marc, Comte de Montmorin-Saint-Herem
• November 20, 1791 - March 10, 1792: Claude Valdec Lessart (or Delessart)
• March 15 - June 13, 1792: Charles-François Dumouriez
• June 13 - September 20, 1792: not listed (there were two, I think, but they aren't listed on the official French foreign ministry site, or any other common reference sources)
• September 21, 1792 - June 21, 1793: Pierre-Henri-Hélène-Marie Lebrun-Tondu
• June 21, 1793 - April 2, 1794: François-Louis-Michel Chemin Deforgues
• April 20, 1794 - November 4, 1795: none
• November 4, 1795 - July 18, 1797: Charles Delacroix
• July 18, 1797 - July 13, 1799: Charles-Maurice de Talleyrand-Perigord
• July 20 - November 21, 1799: Charles-Frédéric Reinhard
• November 21, 1799 - June 17, 1807: Charles-Maurice de Talleyrand-Perigord, Prince de Benevente
• August 8, 1807 - April 16, 1811: Jean-Baptiste Nompère, Comte de Champagny
• April 17, 1811 - November 19, 1813: Hugues-Bernard Maret, Duc de Bassano
• November 20, 1813 - April 2, 1814: Armand-Augustin-Louis, Marquis de Caulaincourt
• April 3 - May 13, 1814: [[Antoine-René-Charles-Mathurin, Comte de La Forest
• May 13, 1814 - March 21, 1815: Charles-Maurice de Talleyrand-Perigord, Prince de Benevente
• March 21 - June 22, 1815: Armand-Augustin-Louis, Marquis de Caulaincourt
• June 23 - July 7, 1815: Pierre-Edouard, Baron Bignon
• July 8 - September 23, 1815: Charles-Maurice de Talleyrand-Perigord
• September 24, 1815 - December 28, 1818: Armand-Emmanuel du Plessis, Duc de Richelieu
• December 29, 1818 - November 18, 1819: Charles-Louis, Marquis Dessolles
• November 19, 1819 - December 13, 1821: Etienne-Denis, Baron Pasquier
• December 14, 1821 - December 27, 1822: Mathieu-Jean-Félicité, Vicomte de Montmorency
• December 28, 1822 - June 5, 1824: François-René, Vicomte de Chateaubriand[?]
• August 4, 1824 - January 3, 1828: Ange-Hyacinthe-Maxence, Baron de Damas
• January 4, 1828 - April 22, 1829: Pierre-Louis-Auguste Ferron, Comte de la Ferronays
• May 14 - August 7, [1829]]: Joseph-Marie, Comte Portalis
• August 8, 1829 - July 28, 1830: Armand-Jules, Prince de Polignac
• August 11 - November 1, 1830: Mathieu-Louis, Comte Molé
• November 2 - November 17, 1830: Nicolas-Joseph, Marquis Maison
• November 17, 1830 - October 13, 1832: Horace, Comte Sebastiani de la Porta
• October 18, 1832 - April 3, 1834: Victor, Duc de Broglie
• April 3, 1834 - March 12, 1835: Henri, Comte de Rigny
• March 12, 1835 - February 22, 1836: Victor, Duc de Broglie
• February 22 - September 5, 1836: Adolphe-Marie-Joseph Thiers
• September 5, 1836 - March 23, 1839: Mathieu-Louis, Comt Molé
• March 23 - May 12, 1839: Napoléon Lanne, Duc de Montebello
• May 12, 1839 - March 1, 1840: Nicolas Jean de Dieu Soult, Duc de Dalmatie
• March 1 - October 29, 1840: Adolphe-Marie-Joseph Thiers
• October 29, 1840 - February 24, 1848: François Guizot
• February 25 - May 10, 1848: Alphonse de Lamartine
• May 10 - December 19, 1848: Jules Bastide
• December 19, 1848 - June 2, 1849: Edouard Drouyn de Lhuys
• June 2 - November 16, 1849: Alexis de Tocqueville
• November 16, 1849 - January 9, 1851: Jean-Ernest Ducos, Vicomte de Lahitte
• January 9 - January 24, 1851: Edouard Drouyn de Lhuys
• January 24 - April 10, 1851: Antole, Baron Brenier
• April 10 - October 26, 1851: Jules Baroche
• October 26, 1851 - July 28, 1852: Louis, Marquis de Turgot
• July 28, 1852 - May 8, 1855: Edouard Drouyn de Lhuys
• May 8, 1855 - January 4, 1860: Alexandre, Comte Colonna-Walewski
• January 4, 1860 - October 15, 1862: Antoine-Edouard Thouvenel
• October 15, 1862 - September 1, 1866: Edouard Drouyn de Lhuys
• September 1, 1866 - December 17, 1868: Lionel, Marquis de Moustier
• December 17, 1868 - July 17, 1869: Charles, Marquis de la Valette
• July 17, 1869 - January 2, 1870: Henri-Bernard-Godefroy-Alphonse, Prince de la Tour d'Auvergne-Lauraguais
• January 2 - April 14, 1870: Napoléon, Comte Daru
• May 15 - August 10, 1870: Agenor, Duc de Gramont
• August 12 - September 4, 1870: Henri-Bernard-Godefroy-Alphonse, Prince de la Tour d'Auvergne-Lauraguais
• September 4, 1870 - August 2, 1871: Jules Favre
• August 2, 1871 - May 26, 1873: Charles, Comte de Remusat
• May 26 - November 26, 1873: Jacques-Victor-Albert, Duc de Broglie
• November 26, 1873 - November 23, 1877: Louis Decazes, Duc de Glucksberg
• November 23 - December 13, 1877: Gaston-Robert, Marquis de Banneville
• December 13, 1877 - December 27, 1879: William-Henry Waddington
• December 27, 1879 - September 23, 1880: Charles de Saulces de Freycinet
• September 23, 1880 - November 14, 1881: Jules Barthelemy-Saint-Hilaire
• November 14, 1881 - January 30, 1882: Léon Gambetta
• January 30 - August 7, 1882: Charles de Saulces de Freycinet
• August 7, 1882 - January 29, 1883: Charles-Théodore-Eugène Duclerc
• February 21 - November 20, 1883: Paul-Armand Challemel-Lacour
• November 20, 1883 - April 6, 1885: Jules Ferry
• April 6, 1885 - December 11, 1886: Charles de Saulces de Freycinet
• December 13, 1886 - April 4, 1888: Emile Flourens
• April 4, 1888 - February 22, 1889: René Goblet
• February 22, 1889 - March 17, 1890: Eugène Spuller
• March 17, 1890 - January 11, 1893: Alexandre Ribot
• January 11 - December 3, 1893: Jules Develle
• December 3, 1893 - May 30, 1894: Jean Casimir-Perier
• May 30, 1894 - November 2, 1895: Gabriel Hanotaux
• November 2, 1895 - March 28, 1896: Marcelin Berthelot
• March 28 - April 30, 1896: Léon Bourgeois[?]
• April 30, 1896 - June 28, 1898: Gabriel Hanotaux
• June 28, 1898 - June 6, 1905: Théophile Delcassé[?]
• June 17, 1905 - March 14, 1906: Maurice Rouvier
• October 25, 1906 - March 2, 1911: Stéphen Pichon
• June 27, 1911 - January 14, 1912: Justin de Selves
• January 14, 1912 - January 21, 1913: Raymond Poincaré[?]
• March 22 - December 10, 1913: Stéphen Pichon
• December 10, 1913 - June 10, 1914: Gaston Doumergue
• June 10 - June 13, 1914: Léon Bourgeois
• June 13 - August 3, 1914: René Viviani
• August 3 - August 26, 1914: Gaston Doumergue
• August 26, 1914 - October 11, 1915: Théophile Delcassé
• October 29, 1915 - March 20, 1917: Aristide Briand
• March 20 - October 23, 1917: Alexandre Ribot
• October 23 - November 16, 1917: Louis Barthou
• November 16, 1917 - January 20, 1920: Stéphen Pichon
• January 20 - September 24, 1920: Alexandre Millerand
• September 24, 1920 - January 16, 1921: Georges Leygues
• January 16, 1921 - January 15, 1922: Aristide Briand
• January 15, 1922 - June 9, 1924: Raymond Poincaré
• June 9 - June 13, 1924: Edmond Lefebvre du Prey
• June 14, 1924 - April 17, 1925: Edouard Herriot
• April 17, 1925 - July 19, 1926: Aristide Briand
• July 19 - July 23, 1926: Edouard Herriot
• July 23, 1926 - January 14, 1932: Aristide Briand
• January 14 - February 21, 1932: Pierre Laval[?]
• February 21 - June 3, 1932: André Tardieu
• June 3 - December 19, 1932: Edouard Herriot
• December 19, 1932 - January 30, 1934: Joseph Paul-Boncour
• January 30 - February 9, 1934: Edouard Daladier[?]
• February 9 - October 9, 1934: Louis Barthou
• October 13, 1934 - January 24, 1936: Pierre Laval
• January 24 - June 4, 1936: Pierre-Etienne Flandin
• June 4, 1936 - March 10, 1938: Yvon Delbos
• March 10 - April 10, 1938: Joseph Paul-Boncour
• April 10, 1938 - September 13, 1939: Georges Bonnet
• September 13, 1939 - March 21, 1940: Edouard Daladier
• March 21 - May 18, 1940: Paul Reynaud[?]
• May 18 - June 5, 1940: Edouard Daladier
• June 5 - June 17, 1940: Paul Reynaud
• June 17 - December 13, 1940: Paul Baudouin (Vichy)
• December 13, 1940 - February 9, 1941: Pierre-Etienne Flandin
• February 9, 1941 - April 18, 1942: Jean Darlan[?] (Vichy)
• April 18, 1942 - August 17, 1944: Pierre Laval (Vichy)
• September 10, 1944 - December 16, 1946: Georges Bidault[?]
• December 16, 1946 - January 22, 1947: Léon Blum[?]
• January 22, 1947 - July 25, 1948: Georges Bidault
• July 26, 1948 - January 8, 1953: Robert Schuman[?]
• January 8, 1953 - June 19, 1954: Georges Bidault
• June 19, 1954 - January 20, 1955: Pierre Mendès-France[?]
• January 20 - February 23, 1955: Edgar Faure
• February 23, 1955 - February 1, 1956: Antoine Pinay
• February 1, 1956 - May 14, 1958: Christian Pineau
• May 14 - June 1, 1958: René Pleven
• June 1, 1958 - May 31, 1968: Maurice Couve de Murville
• May 31, 1968 - June 22, 1969: Michel Debré
• June 22, 1969 - March 15, 1973: Maurice Schumann
• March 15 - April 5, 1973: André Bettencourt
• April 5, 1973 - May 28, 1974: Michel Jobert
• May 28, 1974 - August 27, 1976: Jean Sauvagnargues
• August 27, 1976 - November 29, 1978: Louis de Guiringaud
• November 29, 1978 - May 22, 1981: Jean François-Poncet
• May 22, 1981 - December 7, 1984: Claude Cheysson
• December 7, 1984 - March 20, 1986: Roland Dumas
• March 20, 1986 - May 12, 1988: Jean-Bernard Raimond
• May 12, 1988 - March 30, 1993: Roland Dumas
• March 30, 1993 - May 18, 1995: Alain Juppé[?]
• May 18, 1995 - June 4, 1997: Hervé de Charette
• June 4, 1997 - May 6, 2002: Hubert Védrine
• May 6, 2002 - present: Dominique de Villepin