Trump renames the Pentagon at the Ministry of War, triggering a national debate

While the American forces carry out strikes abroad and political decision -makers are preparing to publish a new national defense strategy, the Trump administration has chosen to revive a name not heard in Washington since 1947: the Ministry of War.

Friday’s decree opened a debate on the question of whether the words shape politics, or if symbolism is lower than the capacities behind them.

Supporters argue that change restores honesty to the identity of the Pentagon, recognizing that the American armed forces have long been engaged in conflicts that extend beyond “defense”. Critics have thwarted that change is likely to glorify war, disturbing allies and give opponents new lines of propaganda at a sensitive moment in world security.

The secretary of war Pete Hegseth, who has proudly taken the new title, described this decision as a cultural reset. “The words count. The titles count, the cultures count,” HegSeth told Fox News Digital. “George Washington founded the War Department.”

Hegseth promises to rebuild military deterrence so that enemies “do not want to — with us”

President Donald Trump published an executive decree on Friday, which was reversing the Ministry of Defense to the Ministry of War. (AP photo / Jacquelyn Martin)

Jennifer Kavanaugh, a senior Defense Priorities member, said recent strikes had borne Trump to rely more on military power. She underlined the American attacks on Iranian targets earlier this summer and, more recently, a strike on a Venezuelan boat to combat drugs, that she said that the administration clearly considered both political successes and solid political points.

“These two strikes, as well as other little things, may push Trump to be more aggressive than on the campaign track, or even that he did not plan to come,” said Kavanaugh.

Others were more skeptical about the practical impact of the name. Frank Rose, a former defense department and a nuclear security administration manager, said the change was not doing much to meet real challenges. “I have no problem with the (new) name,” he said. “The real question is as follows: this name change will allow us to obtain capacities more quickly for Warfighter and to stay ahead of Russia and China? I am skeptical. The names do not dissuade. The capacities dissuade.”

Some observers are concerned about the debate on symbolism which eclipses substantial developments. “This story eclipses more important news,” said John Byrnes, strategic director of veterans concerned for America. “The late national defense strategy seems to be published, and sources report that it describes a pivot to concentrate more defense resources here in North America.”

The White House confirmed its plans to rename the Ministry of Defense on Thursday. (Cell Gunes / Anadolu via Getty Images)

The Pentagon strategy document, published once by administration, is expected soon. A recent report In Politico, suggested that he will focus on defending the fatherland and the Western hemisphere, stressing a change in priorities while the United States faces threats closer to their home.

The decree allows the Pentagon to continue to use the “Ministry of Defense” as a secondary name, a concession that could alleviate the intimidating task of modifying countless seals, emblems and bureaucratic references.

Trump to rename the Pentagon, restoring the Historical War Department ” in the last military move

During most of the history of the nation, the US military was supervised by the Ministry of War. Created in 1789 as one of the first executive departments, he managed the army, the country’s fortifications and defenses. The navy, established separately in 1798, was not integrated into the War Department.

In the middle of the 20th century, political decision -makers thought the role of the military. The devastation of the Second World War and the start of the Cold War stimulated the 1947 national security law, which merged the War Department and the Navy Department in the national military establishment.

In 1949, this structure was renamed from the Ministry of Defense. The new title aimed to report a deterrent and stability mission rather than aggressiveness, aligning with the role of the American Cold War as a global protector.

For more than seventy-five years, the Ministry of Defense has symbolized this mission. The restoration of the name of the “war” represents a striking gap in this framework.

Modern governments have largely abandoned the frank language of “war” to name their defense bureaucracies. The United Kingdom once had separate war ministries and air, which were merged after the Second World War in the Ministry of Defense today. In Germany, governments before 1945 relied on a ministry of war, but the post-war leaders created a Federal Defense Ministry to highlight collective security within NATO. Russia maintains a Ministry of Defense, whose siege is in Moscow, even if it leads wars abroad.

The trend reflects a change of language from the 20th century to the language that supervises the military as protectors rather than attackers. America’s decision to move in the opposite direction is distinguished in the world.

Kavanaugh noted that the rhetorical turn can resonate differently with the American public. For some, she said, it will focus on the lethality of the military-a theme that Trump and Hegseth have adopted several times.

For others, this will recall that the United States spends much more time intervening abroad than defending its own borders.

“The Ministry of War is in a way a much more precise description of what the army does,” she said. “The fatherland itself is in fact very sure: we have oceans on two sides, weak neighbors from the North and South … So I think that it draws attention to the fundamental role of the military here, which fights wars abroad, which has not always advanced American interests.”

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It is not clear if Trump can make the change permanent without the approval of the congress. His order orders Hegseth to propose legislative and executive measures to devote the name. Democrats have already expressed the opposition.

“Completely something that my 8 year old child would offer,” Senator Andy Kim wrote, DN.J.

“Only someone who avoided the project would like to rename the Ministry of Defense to the Ministry of War,” added Senator Mark Kelly, D-Ariz.