Service historique de la Défense

The site of the archives of the ministries responsible for military affairs since records began, the Service Historique de la Défense (SHD) also has one of the most extensive specialist libraries in France. It also has the role of approving, cataloguing and gathering together the elements of military symbolism (emblems and insignias), as well as contributing to research into the history of defence.

Its collections, comprised of 450 km of archives dating back to the 17th century, totalling nearly one million works, represent a part of the French national memory, which the SHD’s archivists, librarians, historians and scientific and technical staff are engaged in preserving, transmitting and sharing. These first-class documentary resources belong to the French people.

Founded on 1 January 2005 through the merging of the former historical departments of the armed forces, the SHD is a branch of the Department for Remembrance, Heritage and Archives (DMPA), one of the departments of the Secretariat-General for Administration (SGA) of the Ministry of Defence.

It is comprised of three centres: the Centre Historique des Archives (located in Vincennes, Cherbourg, Brest, Lorient, Rochefort, Toulon, Caen and Le Blanc), the Centre des Archives de l’Armement et du Personnel Civil (located in Châtellerault) and the Centre des Archives du Personnel Militaire (located in Pau).

Learn all about the SHD through the exhibition organised to celebrate its 10th anniversary.