The Ministry of Defence (Ministero della Difesa) is the central government authority in charge of Italy’s military and civil defence, including the management of the Italian Armed Forces. It is currently led by Guido Crosetto, who has held the position of Minister of Defence since October 2022.
The Ministry was formally established in 1947 during the De Gasperi III Cabinet, through the merger of three separate ministries: the Ministry of War, the Ministry of the Navy, and the Ministry of Aeronautics. This unification aimed to streamline military administration under a single body. Luigi Gasparotto was appointed as the first Minister of Defence.
Historically, military affairs in Italy were divided among separate ministries dating back to the Kingdom of Sardinia, and later the Kingdom of Italy. The Ministry of Aeronautics was introduced in 1925 during the Mussolini Cabinet to handle both military and civil aviation. After World War II and the fall of the Italian Social Republic, the newly formed Italian Republic inherited these three military ministries.
To consolidate military governance, Decree No. 17 issued in February 1947 formally merged the ministries into one unified Ministry of Defence. Although it initially retained authority over civil aviation, this responsibility was later transferred to the Ministry of Transport and Civil Aviation in 1963. Further reforms in 1962 and 1964 helped complete the structural integration of the ministry, aligning its operations with evolving national defence and administrative needs.