Alexander Haig

Alexander Haig
Born	Alexander Meigs Haig Jr. 2 12, 1924
Birthplace	Bala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Died	Template:Death date and age Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.
Nationality	American
Occupation	Military officer, politician, diplomat, businessman
Known for	59th United States Secretary of State; White House Chief of Staff; Supreme Allied Commander Europe
Education	United States Military Academy (BS) Columbia University (MBA) Georgetown University (MA)
Spouse(s)	Patricia Fox Haig
Children	3
Awards	Distinguished Service Cross, Silver Star, Purple Heart

Alexander Meigs Haig Jr. (December 2, 1924 – February 20, 2010) was an American military officer, diplomat, and politician who occupied positions of extraordinary influence across four presidential administrations and two decades of American foreign policy. A decorated combat veteran of the Korean War and the Vietnam War, Haig rose from a junior Army officer to become a four-star general—at the time the youngest in U.S. Army history—and went on to serve as White House Chief of Staff under Presidents Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford, Supreme Allied Commander Europe commanding all NATO forces on the continent, and 59th United States Secretary of State under President Ronald Reagan. His career was marked by both significant accomplishments and controversy, perhaps none more memorable than his declaration "I am in control here, in the White House" following the assassination attempt on Ronald Reagan in March 1981, a statement that provoked widespread criticism given his position in the presidential line of succession. After leaving government, Haig pursued business interests, hosted a television program, and made an unsuccessful bid for the 1988 Republican presidential nomination. He died on February 20, 2010, at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland, at the age of 85.

Early Life

Alexander Meigs Haig Jr. was born on December 2, 1924, in Bala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania, a suburb of Philadelphia, on the city's affluent Main Line. He was the son of Alexander Meigs Haig Sr., a lawyer, and Regina Anne Murphy Haig. His father died when Alexander was ten years old, leaving the family in difficult financial circumstances. His brother, Frank Haig, became a Jesuit priest and academic.

Philadelphia and its surrounding communities shaped Haig's formative years. He grew up in a devout Roman Catholic household and attended local schools in the Philadelphia area. The death of his father instilled in the young Haig a sense of discipline and self-reliance that would characterize his later career. Despite the family's reduced circumstances following his father's passing, Haig pursued an education that would set the stage for his entry into military service and public life.

Haig's upbringing on the Main Line, combined with the challenges his family faced after his father's death, gave him both an appreciation for establishment institutions and a drive to succeed through personal effort. These qualities would become defining characteristics throughout his military and political career, as he repeatedly demonstrated an ability to navigate complex bureaucratic and political environments while advancing through the ranks of the U.S. Army and the upper echelons of the American government.

Education

Haig attended the University of Notre Dame before entering the United States Military Academy at West Point, from which he graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in 1947. His class at West Point would produce several notable military and government figures.

Following his initial military service, Haig continued his education at prominent institutions. He earned a Master of Business Administration degree from Columbia University's Business School and a Master of Arts degree in international relations from Georgetown University. This combination of military training and advanced academic study in business and international affairs provided Haig with a distinctive set of credentials that would serve him well in both his military career and his subsequent roles in government and the private sector. He also attended the Naval War College and the Army War College, further deepening his strategic and policy education.

Career

Early Military Service and the Korean War

Haig was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the United States Army upon his graduation from West Point in 1947. His early military career coincided with the onset of the Cold War, and he was soon deployed to the Korean War following the outbreak of hostilities on the Korean Peninsula in 1950. During the Korean War, Haig served as an aide to General Alonzo Patrick Fox and later to General Edward Almond, the commanding general of the X Corps. His service in Korea provided him with his first direct experience of combat and of the intersection between military operations and political decision-making.

After the Korean War, Haig held a series of staff assignments that broadened his experience within the military establishment. He served as a military aide to Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara during the early 1960s, a period of significant change in American defense policy and the escalating U.S. involvement in Southeast Asia. This assignment placed Haig at the center of the defense establishment during one of the most consequential periods in American military history and introduced him to the workings of civilian-military relations at the highest levels.

Vietnam War

During the Vietnam War, Haig served in combat commands that earned him a reputation for personal bravery and aggressive leadership. He commanded a battalion and subsequently a brigade of the 1st Infantry Division in Vietnam. His combat service was recognized with some of the U.S. military's highest decorations, including the Distinguished Service Cross, the nation's second-highest military honor for valor in combat; the Silver Star with oak leaf cluster, indicating a second award; and the Purple Heart, signifying that he had been wounded in action.

Haig's combat record in Vietnam distinguished him from many of his contemporaries who would later serve in senior government positions. His direct experience of the war's realities on the ground informed his subsequent perspectives on the use of military force and American foreign policy in Southeast Asia.

National Security Council and Rise to Prominence

In 1969, Haig joined the National Security Council staff as a military assistant to National Security Advisor Henry Kissinger. This position marked a pivotal turning point in Haig's career, transforming him from a respected but relatively conventional military officer into a figure of significant political influence. Working closely with Kissinger during the Nixon administration, Haig became involved in some of the most sensitive diplomatic and national security matters of the era, including the secret bombing of Cambodia and back-channel negotiations related to the Vietnam War.

In June 1970, Haig was appointed Deputy National Security Advisor, succeeding Richard V. Allen. In this role, he served as Kissinger's principal deputy and managed the day-to-day operations of the National Security Council staff. Haig's organizational skills, his willingness to work punishing hours, and his ability to navigate the complex and often hostile political environment of the Nixon White House made him indispensable to both Kissinger and President Nixon.

In January 1973, Haig was promoted to Vice Chief of Staff of the United States Army, the Army's second-highest-ranking position, succeeding General Bruce Palmer Jr. At the time of his promotion to four-star general, Haig was the youngest officer to hold that rank in the history of the U.S. Army, a remarkable achievement that reflected the esteem in which he was held by the Nixon administration.

White House Chief of Staff

Haig's tenure as Vice Chief of Staff was short-lived. Following the resignation of H. R. Haldeman in May 1973 amid the deepening Watergate scandal, President Nixon appointed Haig as White House Chief of Staff. The appointment placed Haig at the center of one of the most severe political crises in American history.

As chief of staff during the final months of the Nixon presidency, Haig wielded extraordinary influence. With the president increasingly consumed by the Watergate crisis and its legal and political ramifications, Haig effectively managed the day-to-day operations of the executive branch. He served as a gatekeeper and intermediary, managing access to the embattled president and coordinating the administration's response to the unfolding crisis.

Haig played a significant role in the events leading to Nixon's resignation on August 9, 1974. He was involved in discussions about the president's options as the political and legal walls closed in, and he was credited with helping to persuade Nixon that resignation was the appropriate course of action. After Nixon's departure, Haig continued to serve as chief of staff during the first month of President Gerald Ford's administration, helping to manage the transition of power before being succeeded by Donald Rumsfeld.

Supreme Allied Commander Europe

In December 1974, Haig was appointed the 7th Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR), commanding all NATO military forces in Europe. He returned to active military duty for this assignment, which he held until July 1, 1979, serving under both President Ford and President Jimmy Carter. He succeeded General Andrew Goodpaster in the position and was succeeded by General Bernard W. Rogers.

As SACEUR, Haig was responsible for the defense of Western Europe during a period of significant Cold War tension. He oversaw NATO military planning and force posture during an era marked by the continuing buildup of Soviet conventional and nuclear forces in Eastern Europe. Haig survived an assassination attempt in June 1979 when a bomb exploded near his car in Belgium, an attack later attributed to the Red Army Faction.

Haig retired from the U.S. Army in 1979 after 32 years of military service.

Secretary of State

After Ronald Reagan won the 1980 presidential election, he nominated Haig to serve as the 59th United States Secretary of State. Haig assumed office on January 22, 1981, succeeding Edmund Muskie.

Haig's tenure as secretary of state was marked by both ambition and conflict. He sought to establish himself as the primary architect of American foreign policy, famously describing himself as the "vicar" of foreign policy within the administration. However, this assertion of authority brought him into frequent conflict with other senior officials, including Secretary of Defense Caspar Weinberger, National Security Advisor Richard V. Allen, and members of the White House staff.

The most infamous moment of Haig's tenure as secretary of state came on March 30, 1981, following the assassination attempt on Ronald Reagan. With the president undergoing surgery, Vice President George H. W. Bush in transit aboard Air Force Two, and senior White House officials gathered in the Situation Room, Haig appeared before television cameras in the White House press briefing room and declared: "As of now, I am in control here, in the White House, pending return of the vice president." The statement provoked immediate controversy and widespread criticism, as Haig was fourth in the presidential line of succession at the time, behind the vice president, the speaker of the House, and the president pro tempore of the Senate. Haig later maintained that he was referring to operational control of the executive branch rather than constitutional succession, but the incident damaged his public image and reinforced perceptions among his critics that he was overreaching and imperious.

During the Falklands War of 1982, Haig undertook an intensive shuttle diplomacy effort between London and Buenos Aires in an attempt to broker a peaceful resolution to the conflict between the United Kingdom and Argentina over the Falkland Islands. The mediation effort ultimately failed, and the United States sided with its NATO ally Britain.

Haig's tenure was also characterized by a focus on Central America, where the Reagan administration sought to counter Soviet and Cuban influence. Haig advocated a firm stance against leftist movements in the region, a position that generated significant debate within the administration and in Congress.

Haig resigned as secretary of state on July 5, 1982, after approximately eighteen months in office. He was succeeded by George Shultz. His departure was attributed to ongoing bureaucratic conflicts within the Reagan administration and disagreements over the direction of American foreign policy.

Presidential Campaign

In 1988, Haig entered the Republican presidential primaries, seeking the party's nomination for president. His campaign failed to gain significant traction, and he withdrew from the race relatively early in the primary season. His candidacy was hampered by limited fundraising, the lingering public memory of the "I am in control here" incident, and the strength of the eventual nominee, Vice President George H. W. Bush.

Business Career and Later Life

After leaving government service, Haig pursued a career in the private sector. He served as president of United Technologies Corporation and later headed Worldwide Associates Inc., a consulting firm based in Washington, D.C. He also hosted the television program World Business Review, which aired on the CNBC network and covered international business and economic issues.

Haig remained active as a commentator on foreign policy and national security issues well into his later years, frequently appearing on television news programs and writing on topics of international affairs. He continued to be a presence in Washington policy circles through his consulting work and media appearances.

Personal Life

Haig married Patricia Fox, the daughter of General Alonzo Patrick Fox, under whom Haig had served during the Korean War. The couple had three children, including a son, Brian Haig, who became a novelist known for writing military legal thrillers. His brother, Frank Haig, was a Jesuit priest and physicist who served on the faculty of several universities.

Haig died on February 20, 2010, at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland, from complications related to an infection. He was 85 years old. He was buried at Arlington National Cemetery with full military honors, a fitting tribute to a career that spanned more than three decades of military service and government leadership.

Recognition

Haig received numerous military decorations during his 32 years of service in the U.S. Army. His combat awards included the Distinguished Service Cross, the Silver Star with oak leaf cluster, and the Purple Heart, all earned during the Vietnam War. He also received multiple awards of the Distinguished Service Medal, the Legion of Merit, and the Bronze Star Medal, among other decorations.

In 1996, Haig received the Distinguished Graduate Award from the Association of Graduates of the United States Military Academy, recognizing his lifetime of service and achievement.

During his tenure as Supreme Allied Commander Europe, Haig received decorations and honors from numerous NATO member nations in recognition of his leadership of the alliance's military forces.

Haig's role during the Watergate crisis and the transition from the Nixon to the Ford presidency was recognized by observers across the political spectrum as having provided critical stability during a period of constitutional peril, even as his methods and motivations were debated.

Legacy

Alexander Haig's legacy is complex and subject to ongoing reassessment. His career encompassed an extraordinary range of high-level positions, from decorated combat officer to White House chief of staff, NATO supreme commander, and secretary of state. Few American figures of the twentieth century served in such a diverse array of senior military and civilian roles.

His stewardship of the White House during the final months of the Nixon presidency is generally credited with providing a measure of stability during one of the most serious constitutional crises in American history. Historians have noted that Haig's management of the executive branch during this period helped ensure the continuity of government operations even as the presidency was consumed by the Watergate scandal.

Haig's tenure as secretary of state has been the subject of renewed scholarly attention. A 2022 roundtable published by the Texas National Security Review brought together historians and policy analysts to reassess Haig's impact on the Reagan administration's early foreign policy. Contributors examined his efforts during the Falklands War, his approach to Central America, and his bureaucratic struggles within the administration, offering a more nuanced picture than the one dominated by the "I am in control here" episode.

Analysts at War on the Rocks have explored Haig's tenure as secretary of state as a case study in the challenges of managing interagency conflict and the relationship between the State Department and the White House. His experience has been cited as instructive for subsequent secretaries of state who have faced similar tensions within their administrations. At the same time, assessments of Haig's character and temperament have raised questions about the role of personality in foreign policy leadership, with some analysts arguing that his combative style undermined his effectiveness despite his considerable experience and intellect.

Haig's burial at Arlington National Cemetery reflected the breadth of his service to the United States, spanning combat in two wars, leadership of NATO's forces in Europe, and service in the highest levels of American government.