Edward Cardwell, 1st Viscount Cardwell

The Right Honourable The Viscount Cardwell PC FRS
The 1st Viscount Cardwell, c. 1878
Secretary of State for War
In office 9 December 1868 – 17 February 1874
Monarch	Victoria
Prime Minister	William Ewart Gladstone
Preceded by	Sir John Pakington, Bt
Succeeded by	Hon. Frederick Stanley
Secretary of State for the Colonies
In office 7 April 1864 – 26 June 1866
Monarch	Victoria
Prime Minister	The Viscount Palmerston The Earl Russell
Preceded by	The Duke of Newcastle
Succeeded by	The Earl of Carnarvon
Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster
In office 25 July 1861 – 7 April 1864
Monarch	Victoria
Prime Minister	The Viscount Palmerston
Preceded by	Sir George Grey, Bt
Succeeded by	The Earl of Clarendon
President of the Board of Trade
In office 28 December 1852 – 31 March 1855
Monarch	Victoria
Prime Minister	The Earl of Aberdeen The Viscount Palmerston
Preceded by	J. W. Henley
Succeeded by	The Lord Stanley of Alderley
Personal details
Born	(1813-07-24)24 July 1813
Died	15 February 1886(1886-02-15) (aged 72) Torquay, Devon
Nationality	British
Political party	Tory Peelite Liberal
Spouse	Annie Parker (d. 1887)
Alma mater	Balliol College, Oxford

Edward Cardwell, 1st Viscount Cardwell, PC, FRS (24 July 1813 – 15 February 1886) was a prominent British politician in the Peelite and Liberal parties during the middle of the 19th century. He is best remembered for his tenure as Secretary of State for War between 1868 and 1874 and, with William Ewart Gladstone's support, the introduction of the Cardwell Reforms. The goal was to centralise the power of the War Office, abolish purchase of officers' commissions, and to create reserve forces stationed in Britain by establishing short terms of service for enlisted men.