© 2026 Improve the News Foundation.
All rights reserved.
Version 8.0.0
The United States Department of War was a U.S. Cabinet-level department that existed from 1789 to 1947, responsible for administering the United States Army and overseeing military matters. It was one of the original three executive departments established by the First Congress and was abolished by the National Security Act of 1947, which merged it with the Navy Department to eventually form the Department of Defense.