 Initially created as Ministry of War, it was later renamed as Ministry of Defence, merging also the pre-existent Ministries of Navy and Air Force, after the end of World War II with the De Gasperi III Cabinet.The first Minister of defence was Luigi Gasparotto, succeeded to Cipriano Facchinetti, last Minister of war.The precursor of the Ministry of Defence was the Ministry of War and the one of Navy, among the first ministries created in the Kingdom of Sardinia.