The Ministry of National Defense (Spanish: Ministerio de Defensa Nacional) of Uruguay is a ministry of the Government of Uruguay that is responsible for coordinating and executing all civil and military activities aimed at preserving the sovereignty, independence and the peace of the country.

[2] The Ministry is headquartered in the 8 de Octubre Avenue in Barrio Tres Cruces, Montevideo.

[4] The General Constituent and Legislative Assembly established after the Preliminary Peace Convention of 1828 appointed José Rondeau as Provisional Governor.

[5] On December 22, Rondeau appointed Colonel Eugenio Garzón as Minister of War and Navy, this being the first government department dedicated to the administration of the militia in the newly created Uruguayan State.

[8] On April 1, 2019, President Tabaré Vázquez dismissed Minister Jorge Menéndez and the entire Defense leadership after a scandal resulting from the Special Honor Court that tried José Nino Gavazzo.