Alexander Haig

Alexander Haig
Born	Alexander Meigs Haig Jr. 12/2/1924
Birthplace	Bala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Died	2/20/2010 Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.
Nationality	American
Occupation	Military officer, diplomat, politician, businessman
Known for	59th United States Secretary of State; White House Chief of Staff during Watergate; Supreme Allied Commander Europe; "I am in control here" statement
Education	Georgetown University (MA), Columbia University (MBA), United States Military Academy (BS)
Children	3
Awards	Distinguished Service Cross, Silver Star with oak leaf cluster, Purple Heart

Alexander Meigs Haig Jr. (December 2, 1924 – February 20, 2010) was an American military officer, diplomat, and politician whose career spanned some of the most turbulent chapters of twentieth-century American governance. Rising from a middle-class Philadelphia suburb to the highest echelons of military command and civilian power, Haig served as the 59th United States Secretary of State under President Ronald Reagan, as White House Chief of Staff under Presidents Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford, and as the 7th Supreme Allied Commander Europe, commanding all NATO forces on the continent. A decorated combat veteran of both the Korean War and the Vietnam War, Haig became the youngest four-star general in the history of the United States Army in 1973. His tenure as chief of staff during the Watergate scandal placed him at the center of one of the gravest constitutional crises in American history, and his declaration "I am in control here" following the 1981 assassination attempt on President Reagan became one of the most scrutinized utterances in modern political history. After leaving government, Haig pursued business interests, ran unsuccessfully for the Republican presidential nomination in 1988, and remained a commentator on national security affairs until his death at age 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 Main Line. He was the son of Alexander Meigs Haig Sr. and Regina Anne Murphy Haig. His father was a lawyer who died when Haig was ten years old, leaving the family in difficult financial circumstances. His brother, Frank Haig, became a Jesuit priest and academic.

Growing up in the Philadelphia area, Haig attended St. Joseph's Preparatory School and was shaped by the city's strong Catholic traditions. The loss of his father at a young age instilled in Haig a sense of discipline and self-reliance that would characterize his later career. Philadelphia and its surrounding communities remained central to his identity throughout his life; those who knew him noted that the city dominated his formative years and influenced his outlook on duty and public service.

Haig initially attended the University of Notre Dame before receiving an appointment to the United States Military Academy at West Point, from which he graduated in 1947 with a Bachelor of Science degree. His West Point class would produce several notable military and public figures. The academy instilled in Haig the values of military professionalism and leadership that would define his subsequent career in both uniform and civilian government. His graduation in 1947 placed him at the beginning of the Cold War era, a period that would shape the entirety of his professional life.

Education

Haig's formal education was extensive and reflected his ambitions in both military and civilian spheres. After initial studies at the University of Notre Dame, he graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point in 1947 with a Bachelor of Science degree. He later earned a Master of Arts degree from Georgetown University and a Master of Business Administration from Columbia University. This combination of military training and advanced civilian education in international affairs and business was unusual for an Army officer of his generation and positioned Haig uniquely for the series of roles he would occupy at the intersection of military command, diplomacy, and government administration. His Georgetown education in particular deepened his understanding of international relations and foreign policy, subjects that would become central to his career.

Career

Korean War and Early Military Service

Following his graduation from West Point in 1947, Haig was commissioned as an officer in the United States Army. He served during the Korean War, where he gained his first significant combat experience. During the conflict, Haig served as an aide to General Alonzo Patrick Fox and later to General Edward Almond. His service in Korea provided him with firsthand exposure to the complexities of Cold War military engagement in Asia and to the challenges of operating within a multinational command structure — experiences that would prove formative for his later NATO command.

After the Korean War, Haig continued to advance through the Army's ranks. He served in a variety of staff and command positions, gaining experience in military administration and policy. During this period, he served as an aide to Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara, a position that gave him direct exposure to the highest levels of civilian defense policymaking and to the workings of the Pentagon bureaucracy. This assignment was an early indication of Haig's ability to operate effectively at the intersection of military and civilian authority.

Vietnam War

During the Vietnam War, Haig commanded a battalion and later a brigade of the 1st Infantry Division. His combat service in Vietnam was distinguished; he received the Distinguished Service Cross, the military's second-highest award for valor, as well as the Silver Star with oak leaf cluster and the Purple Heart. His performance in Vietnam cemented his reputation as an aggressive and effective field commander. The Distinguished Service Cross citation recognized his bravery under fire and his leadership during intense combat operations.

Haig's Vietnam service also connected him to a network of military and political figures who would play significant roles in the coming decades. His combat credentials gave him credibility within the military establishment and, later, in political circles where Vietnam-era service was an important marker of authority on national security matters.

National Security Council and Rise to Influence

In 1969, Haig joined the National Security Council staff as a military assistant to National Security Advisor Henry Kissinger. This appointment marked a turning point in Haig's career, transforming him from a distinguished but conventional military officer into a figure at the center of American foreign policy. Haig quickly became one of Kissinger's most trusted aides and was promoted to the position of Deputy National Security Advisor in June 1970, a role he held until January 1973.

During his time on the NSC staff, Haig was involved in many of the major foreign policy initiatives of the Nixon administration, including the secret bombing campaigns in Cambodia and the diplomatic openings to China. His relationship with Kissinger was complex — the two men relied on each other but also competed for influence. Haig's organizational skills, his willingness to work grueling hours, and his ability to navigate the bureaucratic politics of the White House made him indispensable.

In January 1973, Haig was appointed Vice Chief of Staff of the United States Army, the service's second-highest-ranking position. At the same time, he was promoted to four-star general, making him the youngest officer to hold that rank in the Army's history at age 48. He had bypassed several more senior officers in the process, a fact that generated controversy within the Army but reflected the high regard in which he was held by the Nixon White House.

White House Chief of Staff and Watergate

Haig's tenure as Vice Chief of Staff lasted only four months. In May 1973, following the resignation of H. R. Haldeman amid the escalating Watergate scandal, President Nixon appointed Haig as White House Chief of Staff. This appointment placed Haig at the epicenter of the most serious constitutional crisis since the Civil War.

As chief of staff, Haig served as the principal gatekeeper and manager of a White House consumed by the Watergate investigation. He worked to maintain the functioning of the executive branch even as the presidency was disintegrating around him. Haig became one of the most powerful and influential figures in Washington during this period, exercising authority that went far beyond the traditional scope of the chief of staff's role.

In the final months of Nixon's presidency, Haig played a central role in persuading the president to resign rather than face impeachment and removal from office. He served as an intermediary between Nixon and other key figures, including Vice President Gerald Ford. The precise nature and extent of his role in facilitating the transition of power remain subjects of historical debate, but there is broad agreement that Haig was instrumental in managing what could have been a far more destabilizing process.

After Nixon's resignation on August 9, 1974, Haig continued to serve as chief of staff under President Ford for approximately one month before being succeeded by Donald Rumsfeld.

Supreme Allied Commander Europe

In December 1974, Haig returned to active military service as the 7th Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR), the commander of all NATO military forces in Europe. He served in this capacity under Presidents Ford and Jimmy Carter until July 1, 1979.

As SACEUR, Haig was responsible for the defense of Western Europe during one of the more tense periods of the Cold War. He oversaw the planning and readiness of NATO forces at a time when the Soviet Union maintained a significant conventional military advantage in Central Europe. Haig's appointment was notable given his relatively recent rapid promotion and his close association with the disgraced Nixon administration, but he was generally regarded as an effective commander who brought energy and organizational skill to the alliance's military structure.

During his time as SACEUR, Haig survived an assassination attempt on June 25, 1979, when a remote-controlled bomb exploded near his motorcade in Belgium. The bomb detonated moments after his car had passed, damaging the vehicle but leaving Haig uninjured. The attack was attributed to the Red Army Faction, a West German left-wing militant organization.

Haig retired from the Army in 1979 after 32 years of military service and entered the private sector.

Secretary of State

Following Ronald Reagan's victory in the 1980 United States presidential election, Haig was nominated to serve as the 59th Secretary of State. He assumed the office on January 22, 1981. Haig came to the position with a clear vision of his role, later stating that he intended to be the "vicar" of American foreign policy — the president's primary advisor and coordinator on international affairs.

Haig's tenure as Secretary of State was marked by both significant diplomatic activity and persistent internal conflict within the Reagan administration. He clashed repeatedly with other senior officials, including National Security Advisor Richard V. Allen and Secretary of Defense Caspar Weinberger, over the direction of foreign policy and the prerogatives of the State Department.

The most publicly memorable moment of Haig's tenure came on March 30, 1981, when President Reagan was shot and seriously wounded by John Hinckley Jr. With Vice President George H. W. Bush en route to Washington from Texas, 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 was constitutionally inaccurate — the presidential line of succession places the Speaker of the House and the President pro tempore of the Senate ahead of the Secretary of State — and it generated immediate controversy. Haig later maintained that he was referring to the management of the executive branch's crisis response rather than claiming constitutional authority, but the moment became indelibly associated with his public image.

During the Falklands War of 1982, Haig undertook an intensive diplomatic effort to broker a peaceful resolution between the United Kingdom and Argentina over the disputed Falkland Islands. He engaged in shuttle diplomacy between London and Buenos Aires, but the effort ultimately failed, and the United States sided with its British ally after Argentina refused to withdraw its forces.

Haig resigned as Secretary of State on July 5, 1982, after approximately eighteen months in office. The resignation followed months of bureaucratic infighting and Haig's growing frustration with what he perceived as the marginalization of his role. He was succeeded by George Shultz.

Scholars have subsequently reassessed Haig's impact during his relatively brief tenure at the State Department. Contributors to a 2022 policy roundtable published by the Texas National Security Review examined Haig's influence on Reagan's early foreign policy, noting both his substantive contributions and the internal dysfunction that limited his effectiveness.

1988 Presidential Campaign

In 1988, Haig entered the Republican presidential primaries, seeking the party's nomination for president. He ran on a platform emphasizing his national security credentials and his experience in government. However, his campaign failed to gain significant traction in a crowded field that included Vice President George H. W. Bush, Senator Bob Dole, and televangelist Pat Robertson. Haig withdrew from the race early in the primary season after poor showings in early contests.

Business Career and Later Activities

After leaving government, Haig pursued a career in the private sector. He headed Worldwide Associates, a consulting firm, and served on the boards of several major corporations. He also hosted the television program World Business Review, a syndicated show focused on global business and geopolitical issues, which aired on cable television.

Haig remained active as a commentator on national security and foreign policy matters throughout the 1990s and into the 2000s. He spoke frequently on issues related to U.S. military policy, NATO, and international relations, drawing on his decades of experience at the highest levels of government and military command.

Personal Life

Alexander Haig married Patricia Antoinette 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.

Haig was a Roman Catholic throughout his life, and his faith was influenced by his upbringing in the Philadelphia area and by his brother Frank, who became a Jesuit priest.

Haig's health declined in his later years. He 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 interment for a man who had served his country in both war and peace for more than four decades.

Recognition

Haig received numerous military decorations over the course of his career. His combat awards included the Distinguished Service Cross, the second-highest military decoration for valor in the United States Army, for his service in Vietnam. He also received the Silver Star with oak leaf cluster, the Purple Heart, and the Distinguished Flying Cross, among other decorations.

In 1996, Haig received the Distinguished Graduate Award from the Association of Graduates of the United States Military Academy, an honor given to West Point alumni who have distinguished themselves through a lifetime of service to the nation.

His service as SACEUR earned him recognition from multiple NATO member nations, and he received decorations and honors from allied governments during and after his tenure in the position.

Legacy

Alexander Haig's legacy is complex and contested. He occupied positions of extraordinary power and responsibility at critical moments in American history — during the Watergate crisis, during the Cold War confrontation with the Soviet Union in Europe, and during the early years of the Reagan administration's foreign policy. His supporters credit him with helping to manage the orderly transition of power during Nixon's resignation, with strengthening NATO's military readiness during a dangerous period, and with pursuing a coherent if sometimes combative approach to American diplomacy as Secretary of State.

His critics, however, point to his combative management style, the bureaucratic warfare that characterized his time as Secretary of State, and the "I am in control here" episode as evidence of an overreaching temperament that ultimately limited his effectiveness. One analysis published in War on the Rocks argued that Haig "alienated himself" through "bellicose and possibly irrational behavior" and that his tenure illustrated the problem of character in high office.

The reassessment of Haig's contributions has continued in the years since his death. A 2022 roundtable in the Texas National Security Review brought together scholars to reconsider his impact on Reagan-era foreign policy, suggesting that his contributions were more substantive than the popular memory of bureaucratic infighting and the "in control" statement might suggest.

Haig's burial at Arlington National Cemetery, where he rests among other secretaries of state and senior military leaders, reflects the breadth of a career that encompassed combat command, alliance leadership, White House crisis management, and diplomacy at the highest levels of the American government.