Editing Alexander Haig

{{short description|American army general and statesman (1924–2010)}}
{{About||the British peer|Alexander Haig, Viscount Dawick|the Scottish physician|Alexander Haig (physician)|the American jazz pianist|Al Haig}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2024}}{{Use American English|date=December 2024}}

{{Infobox officeholder
| name                = Alexander Haig
| image               = General Alexander Meigs Haig, Jr.jpg
| caption             = Haig {{circa|1970s}}
| office              = United States Secretary of State
| order               = 59th
| president           = [[Ronald Reagan]]
| deputy              = [[William P. Clark Jr.]]<br>[[Walter J. Stoessel Jr.]]
| term_start          = 22 January 1981
| term_end            = 5 July 1982
| predecessor         = [[Edmund Muskie]]
| successor           = [[George Shultz]]
| office1             = Supreme Allied Commander Europe
| order1              = 7th
| president1          = [[Gerald Ford]]<br>[[Jimmy Carter]]
| deputy1             = [[John Mogg (British Army officer)|John Mogg]]<br>[[Harry Tuzo]]<br>[[Gerd Schmückle]]
| term_start1         = 15 December 1974
| term_end1           = 1 July 1979
| predecessor1        = [[Andrew Goodpaster]]
| successor1          = [[Bernard W. Rogers]]
| office2             = 5th [[White House Chief of Staff]]
| president2          = [[Richard Nixon]]<br>[[Gerald Ford]]
| term_start2         = 4 May 1973
| term_end2           = 21 September 1974
| predecessor2        = [[H. R. Haldeman]]
| successor2          = [[Donald Rumsfeld]]
| office3             = [[Vice Chief of Staff of the United States Army]]
| president3          = [[Richard Nixon]]
| term_start3         = 4 January 1973
| term_end3           = 4 May 1973
| predecessor3        = [[Bruce Palmer Jr.]]
| successor3          = [[Frederick C. Weyand]]
| office4             = 6th [[Deputy National Security Advisor (United States)|United States Deputy National Security Advisor]]
| president4          = [[Richard Nixon]]
| term_start4         = June 1970
| term_end4           = 4 January 1973
| predecessor4        = [[Richard V. Allen]]
| successor4          = [[Brent Scowcroft]]
| birth_name          = Alexander Meigs Haig Jr.
| birth_date          = {{birth date|1924|12|2|df=y}}
| birth_place         = [[Bala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania]], U.S.
| death_date          = {{death date and age|2010|2|20|1924|12|2|df=y}}
| death_place         = [[Baltimore]], [[Maryland]], U.S.
| restingplace        = [[Arlington National Cemetery]]
| party               = [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]]
| spouse              = {{marriage|Patricia Fox|May 24, 1950}}
| children            = 3, including [[Brian Haig|Brian]]
| signature           = Alexander Haig Signature 2.svg
| allegiance          = United States 
| branch              = [[United States Army]]
| serviceyears        = 1947–1979
| rank                = [[General (United States)|General]]
| battles             = [[Korean War]]<br />[[Vietnam War]]
| education           = [[University of Notre Dame]] <br>[[United States Military Academy]] ([[Bachelor of Science|BS]])<br>[[Columbia University]] ([[Master of Business Administration|MBA]])<br>[[Georgetown University]] ([[Master of Arts|MA]])
| mawards             = {{plainlist|
* [[Distinguished Service Cross (United States)|Distinguished Service Cross]]
* [[Defense Distinguished Service Medal]] (2)
* [[Army Distinguished Service Medal]]
* [[Navy Distinguished Service Medal]]
* [[Air Force Distinguished Service Medal]]
* [[Silver Star]] (2)
* [[Legion of Merit]] (3)
* [[Distinguished Flying Cross (United States)|Distinguished Flying Cross]] (3)
* [[Bronze Star Medal|Bronze Star]] (3) with [[Valor device|"V" device]]
* [[Purple Heart]]
* [[Air Medal]] (27)
}}
}}

'''Alexander Meigs Haig Jr.''' ({{IPAc-en|h|eɪ|g}}; 2 December 1924{{spaced en dash}}20 February 2010) was [[United States Secretary of State]] under President [[Ronald Reagan]] and [[White House chief of staff]] under Presidents [[Richard Nixon]] and [[Gerald Ford]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2008-03-10 |title=Alexander Haig - MSN Encarta |url=http://encarta.msn.com/encnet/refpages/RefArticle.aspx?refid=761585441 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080310041006/http://encarta.msn.com/encnet/refpages/RefArticle.aspx?refid=761585441 |archive-date=2008-03-10 |access-date=2025-01-20 |website=MSN}}</ref> Prior to and in between these cabinet-level positions, he was a general in the [[U.S. Army]], serving first as the vice chief of staff of the Army and then as [[Supreme Allied Commander Europe]]. In 1973, Haig became the youngest four-star general in the Army's history.

Haig was born and raised in Pennsylvania. He graduated from the [[U.S. Military Academy]] and served in the [[Korean War]], during which he served as an aide to general [[Alonzo Patrick Fox]] and general [[Edward Almond]]. Afterward, he served as an aide to defense secretary [[Robert McNamara]]. During the [[Vietnam War]], Haig commanded a battalion and later a brigade of the [[1st Infantry Division (United States)|1st Infantry Division]]. For his service, Haig received the [[Distinguished Service Cross (United States)|Distinguished Service Cross]], the [[Silver Star]] with [[oak leaf cluster]], and the [[Purple Heart]].<ref name="speakers">{{cite web|url=http://premierespeakers.com/alexander_haig |title=Premier Speakers Bureau |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100114104708/http://premierespeakers.com/alexander_haig |archive-date=January 14, 2010 }}</ref>

In 1969, Haig became an assistant to national security advisor [[Henry Kissinger]]. He became [[Vice Chief of Staff of the United States Army|vice chief of staff of the Army]], the Army's second-highest-ranking position, in 1972. After the 1973 resignation of [[H. R. Haldeman]], Haig became President Nixon's chief of staff. Serving in the wake of the [[Watergate scandal]], he became especially influential in the final months of Nixon's tenure, playing a role in persuading Nixon to resign in 1974. Haig continued to serve as chief of staff for the first month of President Ford's tenure. From 1974 to 1979, Haig served as [[Supreme Allied Commander Europe]], commanding all [[NATO]] forces in Europe. He retired from the army in 1979 and pursued a career in business.

After Reagan won the [[1980 U.S. presidential election]], he nominated Haig to be his secretary of state. After the [[Reagan assassination attempt]], Haig said "I am in control here, in the White House", despite not being next in the [[United States presidential line of succession|line of succession]]. During the [[Falklands War]], Haig sought to broker peace between the United Kingdom and Argentina. He resigned from Reagan's cabinet in July 1982. He unsuccessfully sought the presidential nomination in the [[1988 Republican Party presidential primaries|1988 Republican primaries]]. He also served as the head of a consulting firm and hosted the television program ''[[World Business Review]]''.<ref>{{Citation|title=World Business Review (TV Series 1996–2006) |work=IMDb|url=http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2308331/fullcredits|access-date=2020-10-20}}</ref>

==Early life and education==
Haig was born in [[Bala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania]], the middle of three children of Alexander Meigs Haig, a Republican lawyer of Scottish descent, and his wife, Regina Anne (née Murphy).<ref name="WashPost_obit">{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/02/20/AR2010022001270.html |title=Alexander Haig, 85; soldier-statesman managed Nixon resignation |author=Hohmann, James |date=February 21, 2010 |access-date=February 21, 2010 |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110604174902/http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/02/20/AR2010022001270.html |archive-date=June 4, 2011 |url-status=live |df=mdy }}</ref> When Haig was 9, his father, aged 41, died of cancer. His [[Irish American]] mother raised her children in the [[Catholic Church|Catholic]] faith.<ref name="ref2">{{cite news|title=Haig's Future Uncertain After a Shaky Start|newspaper=Anchorage Daily News|date=April 11, 1981|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=6Yg1AAAAIBAJ&pg=1406,2881203|access-date=December 22, 2009}}{{Dead link|date=January 2022 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> Haig initially attended [[Saint Joseph's Preparatory School]] in [[Philadelphia]], Pennsylvania, on a scholarship; when he was withdrawn due to poor academic performance, he transferred to [[Lower Merion High School]] in [[Ardmore, Pennsylvania]], where he graduated in 1942.

Initially unable to secure his desired appointment to the [[United States Military Academy]], though one of his teachers opined that "Al is definitely not West Point material", Haig studied at the [[University of Notre Dame]], where he earned a "string of A's" in an "intellectual awakening"<ref name="books.google.com">{{Cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=z8wSCZG9O6AC&q=alexander+haig+west+point&pg=PA546 |title = In Praise of Nepotism|isbn = 9781400079025|last1 = Bellow|first1 = Adam|date = July 13, 2004| publisher=Knopf Doubleday Publishing }}</ref> for two years before securing a [[United States Congress|congressional]] appointment to the U.S. Military Academy in 1944 at the behest of his uncle, who served as the Philadelphia municipal government's director of public works.<ref name="books.google.com"/>

Haig was enrolled in an accelerated wartime curriculum at West Point that deemphasized the humanities and social sciences, and he graduated in the bottom third of his class<ref name = Weiner>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/21/us/politics/21haig.html |title=Alexander M. Haig Jr., 85, Forceful Aide to 2 Presidents, Dies |author=Weiner, Tim |author-link=Tim Weiner |date=February 20, 2010 |access-date=February 20, 2010 |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100223215932/http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/21/us/politics/21haig.html |archive-date=February 23, 2010 |url-status=live |df=mdy }}</ref> (ranked 214 of 310) in 1947.<ref name="theguardian.com">{{Cite news | url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2010/feb/20/alexander-haig-obituary | title=Alexander Haig obituary| newspaper=The Guardian| date=February 20, 2010| last1=Jackson| first1=Harold}}</ref> Although a West Point superintendent characterized Haig as "the last man in his class anyone expected to become the first general",<ref>{{Cite web | url=http://www.philly.com/philly/blogs/americandebate/Al_Haig_the_long_goodbye.html |title = Al Haig, the long goodbye| date=February 22, 2010 }}</ref> other classmates acknowledged his "strong convictions and even stronger ambitions".<ref name="theguardian.com"/> Haig later earned an [[Master of Business Administration|MBA]] from the [[Columbia Business School]] in [[New York City]] in 1955. As a major, he attended the [[Naval War College]] in 1960 and then earned a [[Master of Arts|M.A.]] in [[international relations]] from [[Georgetown University]] in [[Washington, D.C.]] in 1961. His thesis at Georgetown University examined the role of military officers in making national policy.

==Early military career==
===Korean War===
As a young officer, Haig served as an aide to Lieutenant General [[Alonzo Patrick Fox]], a deputy chief of staff to General [[Douglas MacArthur]]. In 1950 Haig married Fox's daughter, Patricia.<ref name = Weiner/> In the early days of the [[Korean War]], Haig was responsible for maintaining General MacArthur's situation map and briefing MacArthur each evening on the day's battlefield events.<ref name="hc">{{cite web|url=http://www.historycentral.com/Documents/HaigKorea.html|title=Lessons of the forgotten war | author=Alexander M. Haig Jr.}}</ref> Haig later served (1950–51) with the [[X Corps (United States)|X Corps]], as aide to MacArthur's chief of staff, General [[Edward Almond]],<ref name="speakers" /> who awarded Haig two Silver Stars and a [[Bronze Star]] with [[Valor device]].<ref name="ut">{{cite web|url=https://my.tennessee.edu/portal/page?_pageid=91,55081&_dad=portal&_schema=PORTAL |title=UT Biography |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130511090202/https://my.tennessee.edu/portal/page?_pageid=91%2C55081&_dad=portal&_schema=PORTAL |archive-date=May 11, 2013 }}</ref> Haig participated in four [[Korean War]] campaigns, including the [[Battle of Inchon]], the [[Battle of Chosin Reservoir]] and the [[Hungnam evacuation|evacuation of Hŭngnam]],<ref name="hc"/> as Almond's aide.

===Pentagon assignments===
Haig served as a staff officer in the Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations at the [[The Pentagon|Pentagon]] (1962–64), and then was appointed military assistant to Secretary of the Army [[Stephen Ailes]] in 1964. He then was appointed military assistant to Secretary of Defense [[Robert McNamara]], continuing in that service until the end of 1965.<ref name = Weiner />  In 1966, Haig graduated from the [[United States Army War College]].

===Vietnam War===
[[File:General Alexander Haig being presented with the Distinguished Service Medal by President Richard Nixon at the White House.jpg|thumb|Major General Haig being presented with the [[Distinguished Service Medal (U.S. Army)|Distinguished Service Medal]] by President [[Richard Nixon]] in the [[Oval Office]] in 1973]]
In 1966, Haig took command of a [[battalion]] of the [[1st Infantry Division (United States)|1st Infantry Division]] during the [[Vietnam War]]. On 22 May 1967, General [[William Westmoreland]] rewarded Haig with the [[Distinguished Service Cross (United States)|Distinguished Service Cross]], the [[United States Army|U.S. Army]]'s second-highest medal for valor, in recognition of his actions during the [[Battle of Ap Gu]] in March 1967.<ref name="aogusma">{{cite web |title=West Point Citation |url=http://www.aogusma.org/aog/awards/DGA/96-Haigl.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060516203751/http://www.aogusma.org/aog/awards/DGA/96-Haigl.htm |archive-date=2006-05-16}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Relations |first=United States Congress Senate Committee on Foreign |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6GH6yBfAf14C&dq=Alexander+Haig+medal+1967+Battle+of+Ap+Gu&pg=PA11 |title=Nomination of Alexander M. Haig, Jr: Hearings Before the Committee on Foreign Relations, United States Senate, Ninety-seventh Congress, First Session, on the Nomination of Alexander M. Haig, Jr., to be Secretary of State, January 9, 10, 12, 13, 14, 15, 1981 |date=1981 |publisher=U.S. Government Printing Office |language=en}}</ref>  During the battle, Haig, then a member of the [[26th Infantry Regiment (United States)#Vietnam War|1st Battalion, 26th Infantry Regiment]], became pinned down by a [[Viet Cong]] force that outnumbered U.S. forces by three to one. In an attempt to survey the battlefield, Haig boarded a helicopter and flew to the point of contact. His helicopter was subsequently shot down, leading to two days of bloody hand-to-hand combat. An excerpt from Haig's Distinguished Service Cross citation states:

{{blockquote|When two of his companies were engaged by a large hostile force, Colonel Haig landed amid a hail of fire, personally took charge of the units, called for artillery and air fire support and succeeded in soundly defeating the insurgent force&nbsp;... the next day a barrage of 400 rounds was fired by the Viet Cong, but it was ineffective because of the warning and preparations by Colonel Haig. As the barrage subsided, a force three times larger than his began a series of human wave assaults on the camp. Heedless of the danger himself, Colonel Haig repeatedly braved intense hostile fire to survey the battlefield. His personal courage and determination, and his skillful employment of every defense and support tactic possible, inspired his men to fight with previously unimagined power. Although his force was outnumbered three to one, Colonel Haig succeeded in inflicting 592 casualties on the Viet Cong&nbsp;...

HQ US Army, Vietnam, General Orders No. 2318 (22 May 1967)<ref name="hoh">{{cite web|url=http://militarytimes.com/citations-medals-awards/recipient.php?recipientid=4574|title=Full Text Citations For Award of The Distinguished Service Cross, US Army Recipients – Vietnam}}</ref>}}

Haig was also awarded the [[Distinguished Flying Cross (United States)|Distinguished Flying Cross]] and the [[Purple Heart]] during his tour in Vietnam<ref name="aogusma" /> and was eventually promoted to colonel as commander of 2nd Brigade, [[1st Infantry Division (United States)|1st Infantry Division]] in Vietnam.

===Return to West Point===
Following his one-year tour of [[Vietnam]] during the [[Vietnam War]], Haig returned to the United States to become regimental commander of the Third Regiment of the [[Cadet Corps|Corps of Cadets]] at West Point under the newly appointed commandant, Brigadier General [[Bernard W. Rogers]]. Both had previously served together in the 1st Infantry Division, Rogers as assistant division commander and Haig as brigade commander.

==Security adviser and vice chief of staff (1969–1973)==
In 1969, he was appointed military assistant to the assistant to the president for national security affairs, [[Henry Kissinger]]. A year later, he replaced [[Richard V. Allen]] as [[Deputy National Security Advisor (United States)|deputy assistant to the president for national security affairs]]. During this period, he was promoted to brigadier general (September 1969) and major general (March 1972).

In the spring of 1972, the [[People’s Army of Vietnam|North Vietnamese armed forces]] (PAVN) launched a multi-prong attack, known as the [[Easter Offensive]], on every region of South Vietnam. For the first time, the PAVN deployed heavy weaponry such as mobile surface-to-air missile batteries, tanks, and armored vehicles. In the early weeks of the offensive, the PAVN won startling advances, and captured crucial bases, roads, and cities. Nixon and Kissinger——while delicately picking their way through the diplomatic thickets of [[Presidency of Richard Nixon#Soviet Union|détente]] with [[Soviet Union|Moscow]] and [[Foreign policy of the Richard Nixon administration#China|open relations]] with [[China|Peking (Beijing)]]——decided to respond to North Vietnam’s sweeping assault by mining its [[Haiphong|principal harbor]], and massively bombing targets in every quarter of North Vietnam.<ref>{{cite book |last=Randolph |first=Stephen |title=Powerful and Brutal Weapons: Nixon, Kissinger, and the Easter Offensive |publisher=Harvard University Press |location=Cambridge |year=2007|isbn=9780674024915|url= https://archive.org/details/powerfulbrutalwe0000rand}}</ref>  Nixon, in his reflexive suspicion,<ref>{{cite book |last=Summers |first=Anthony |title=The Arrogance of Power: The Secret World of Richard Nixon |publisher=Viking |location=New York |year=2000 |url=https://archive.org/details/arroganceofpower0000summ}}</ref> and Kissinger, in his boundless ambition,<ref>{{cite book |last=Hersh |first=Seymour |title=The Price of Power: Kissinger in the Nixon White House|publisher=Summit |location=New York |year=1983 |url=https://archive.org/details/priceofpower00hers}}</ref> opted to bypass the Departments of [[United States Department of State|State]] and [[United States Department of Defense|Defense]], as well as the [[Joint Chiefs of Staff]](JCS), in any advisory or decision-making capacity relating to what would become known as [[Operation Linebacker]].{{sfn|Randolph|2007|p=164}}

Haig effectively substituted for the JCS during this time. He developed the core strategy coordinating the mining with the bombing of transportation targets. He was dispatched, to the Pentagon as well as Saigon, to critique field commanders and military procedure, and provide an independent information channel to the White House. He was a member of a national security [[triumvirate]], along with Nixon and Kissinger, that both scapegoated and ignored the [[Military Assistance Command, Vietnam|military command running the daily operations in Vietnam]].{{sfn|Randolph|2007|p=87-88}}

In this position, Haig helped [[South Vietnam]]ese president [[Nguyen Van Thieu]] negotiate the final [[Paris Peace Accords|cease-fire talks]] in 1972. Haig continued in the role until 4 January 1973,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.fordlibrarymuseum.gov/library/document/0019/4520749.pdf|title=Personnel - White House Appointment of Military Personnel to Staff|page=11|website=Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library & Museum}}</ref> when he became [[Vice Chief of Staff of the United States Army|vice chief of staff of the Army]]. Nixon planned to appoint Haig as chief of staff over [[Creighton Abrams]], whom he personally disliked, but [[United States Secretary of Defense|secretary of defense]] [[Melvin Laird]] resisted as Haig lacked the relevant upper-level command experience.<ref name="fortyyears">{{cite book|last1=Colodny|first1=Len|last2=Shachtman|first2=Tom|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9NenDAAAQBAJ&dq=haig+becomes+army+vice+chief&pg=PT189|title=Forty Years War|date=2009|publisher=TrineDay |isbn=9781634240574 }}</ref> He was confirmed by the U.S. Senate in October 1972, thus skipping the rank of lieutenant general. By appointing him to this billet, Nixon "passed over 240 generals" who were senior to Haig.<ref>{{Cite news | url=https://www.nytimes.com/1973/05/05/archives/4star-diplomat-in-white-house-a-recent-trip-hell-be-superb-skipped.html |title = 4-Star Diplomat in White House Alexander Meigs Haig Jr|newspaper = The New York Times|date = May 5, 1973}}</ref>

==White House Chief of Staff (1973–1974)==
===Nixon administration===
[[File:President Richard Nixon seated at his Oval Office desk during a meeting with Henry Kissinger, Alexander Haig, and Gerald Ford.jpg|thumb|[[Henry Kissinger]], [[Richard Nixon]], [[Gerald Ford]], and Haig meeting on Ford's forthcoming appointment as vice president in 1973]]
In May 1973, after only four months as VCSA, Haig returned to the [[Presidency of Richard Nixon|Nixon administration]] at the height of the [[Watergate scandal|Watergate affair]] as [[White House Chief of Staff]]. During the [[Saturday Night Massacre]], Haig attempted to make acting-Attorney General [[William Ruckelshaus]] fire special prosecutor [[Archibald Cox]]. Haig's coercion failed, and Ruckelshaus resigned.<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Frank |first=Jeffrey |date=2017-05-09 |title=Comey's Firing Is—and Isn't—Like Nixon's Saturday Night Massacre |url=https://www.newyorker.com/news/daily-comment/comeys-firing-is-and-isnt-like-nixons-saturday-night-massacre |access-date=2024-07-19 |magazine=The New Yorker |language=en-US |issn=0028-792X}}</ref> Retaining his Army commission, he remained in the position until 21 September 1974, ultimately overseeing the transition to the [[presidency of Gerald Ford]] following [[Richard Nixon's resignation speech|Nixon's resignation]] on 9 August 1974.

Haig has been largely credited with keeping the government running while President Nixon was preoccupied with Watergate<ref name="encarta">{{cite encyclopedia |title=Alexander Haig |url=http://encarta.msn.com/encnet/refpages/RefArticle.aspx?refid=761585441 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080310041006/http://encarta.msn.com/encnet/refpages/RefArticle.aspx?refid=761585441 |archive-date=March 10, 2008 |encyclopedia=[[MSN Encarta]] |df=mdy}}</ref> and was essentially seen as the "acting president" during Nixon's last few months in office.<ref name = Weiner /> During July and early August 1974, Haig played an instrumental role in persuading Nixon to resign. Haig presented several pardon options to Ford a few days before Nixon resigned. In this regard, in his 1999 book ''[[Shadow (Woodward book)|Shadow]]'', author [[Bob Woodward]] describes Haig's role as the point man between Nixon and Ford during the final days of Nixon's presidency. According to Woodward, Haig played a major behind-the-scenes role in the delicate negotiations of the transfer of power from Nixon to Ford.<ref>''The Final Days'', by Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein, 1976, New York, Simon & Schuster; ''Shadow'', by Bob Woodward, 1999, New York, Simon  Schuster, pp. 4–38.</ref> Indeed, about one month after taking office, Ford did pardon Nixon, resulting in much controversy.

However, Haig denied the allegation that he played a key role in arbitrating Nixon's resignation by offering Ford's pardon to Nixon. One of the most crucial moments occurred a day before Haig's departure to Europe to begin his tenure as NATO Supreme Allied Commander. Haig was telephoned by [[J. Fred Buzhardt]], who once served as special White House counsel for Watergate matters.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book|last=Haig|first=Alexander M.|title=Inner Circles: How America Changed the World: A Memoir|date=September 1, 1992|publisher=Grand Central Publisher|isbn=978-0446515719}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite book|last=Woodward|first=Robert Upshur|title=Shadow: Five Presidents And The Legacy Of Watergate|publisher=Simon & Schuster|date=June 16, 1999|isbn=978-0684852638}}</ref> In the call, Buzhardt discussed with Haig President Ford's upcoming speech to the nation about pardoning Nixon, informing Haig that the speech contained something indicating Haig's role in Nixon's resignation and Ford's pardon of Nixon. According to Haig's autobiography (''Inner Circles: How America Changed the World''), Haig was furious and immediately drove straight to the White House to determine the veracity of Buzhardt's claims. This was due to his concern that Ford's speech would expose Haig's role in negotiating Nixon's resignation supposedly in exchange for a pardon issued by the new president.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1" />

On 7 August 1974, two days before Nixon's resignation, Haig met with Nixon in the Oval Office to discuss the transition. Following their conversation, Nixon told Haig "You fellows, in your business, have a way of handling problems like this. Give them a pistol and leave the room. I don't have a pistol, Al."<ref>{{Cite book|last=Woodward|first=Bob|url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/1975233|title=The final days|date=1976|others=Carl Bernstein|isbn=0-671-22298-8|location=New York|oclc=1975233}}</ref>

===Ford administration===
[[File:Alexander Haig photo portrait as White House Chief of Staff black and white.jpg|thumb|Haig's official chief of staff portrait]]
Following Nixon's resignation, Haig remained briefly as White House Chief of Staff under Ford. Haig aided in the transition by advising the new president mostly on policy matters on which he had been working under the Nixon presidency and introducing Ford to the White House staff and their daily activities. Haig recommended that Ford retain several of Nixon's White House staff for 30 days to provide an orderly transition. Haig and Kissinger also advised Ford on Nixon's détente policy with the Soviet Union following the SALT I treaty in 1972.

Haig found it difficult to get along with the new administration and wanted to return to the Army for his last command. It had also been rumored that Ford wanted to be his own chief of staff. At first Ford decided to replace Haig with [[Robert T. Hartmann]], Ford's chief of staff during his tenure as vice president.<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite book|last=Rumsfeld|first=Donald|url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/650210649|title=Known and unknown : a memoir|date=2011|publisher=Sentinel|isbn=978-1-59523-067-6|location=New York|oclc=650210649}}</ref> Ford soon replaced Hartmann with United States Permanent Ambassador to NATO [[Donald Rumsfeld]]. Author and Haig biographer [[Roger Morris (American writer)|Roger Morris]], a former colleague of Haig's on the [[United States National Security Council|National Security Council]] early in Nixon's first term, wrote that when Ford pardoned Nixon, he in effect pardoned Haig as well.<ref>''Haig: The General's Progress'', by [[Roger Morris (American writer)]], ''[[Playboy]]'' Press, 1982, pp. 320–25.</ref>

Haig resigned from his position as White House Chief of Staff and returned to active duty in the United States Army in September 1974.<ref name=":0" />

==NATO Supreme Allied Commander (1974–1979)==
[[File:General Alexander M. Haig, Jr.jpg|thumb|left|General Haig during his tenure as [[Supreme Allied Commander Europe]]]]
In December 1974, Haig was appointed as the next [[Supreme Allied Commander Europe]] by President Ford, replacing General [[Andrew Goodpaster]] and returning to active duty in the United States Army. Haig also became the front-runner to be the 27th [[Chief of Staff of the United States Army|U.S. Army Chief of Staff]], following the death of General [[Creighton Abrams]] from complications of surgery to remove lung cancer on 4 September 1974. However it was General [[Frederick C. Weyand]] who ultimately filled Abrams's position as Chief of Staff.<ref name=":0" /> From 1974 to 1979 Haig served as the [[Supreme Allied Commander Europe]], the commander of NATO forces in Europe, as well as [[commander-in-chief]] of [[United States European Command]]. During his tenure as SACEUR, Haig focused on transforming SACEUR in order to face the future global challenge following the end of the [[Vietnam War]] and the rise of Soviet influence within Eastern Europe.

Haig focused on strengthening the relationship between the United States and NATO member nations and their allies. As a result, several fleets of United States Air Force aircraft, such as the [[General Dynamics F-111 Aardvark|F-111 Aardvark]] from the [[Strategic Air Command]], were relocated to US Air Force bases located in Europe.<ref name=":0" /> Haig also stressed the importance of increasing the training of US troops deployed in Europe following his tour of the [[United States Sixth Fleet|Sixth Fleet]] in the [[Mediterranean Sea]], on which Haig saw poorly-disciplined and ill-trained troops. As a result, Haig conducted routine inspections during NATO troops' training and often went to the training site and participated in the training itself. Haig also recommended the revitalization of equipment in the US installations in Europe and US troops deployed in Europe, in order to strengthen deterrence from possible attack.<ref name=":0" />

Haig took the same route to [[Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe|SHAPE]] every day—a pattern of behavior that did not go unnoticed by terrorist organizations. On 25 June 1979, Haig was the target of an assassination attempt in [[Mons, Belgium]]. A [[land mine]] blew up under the bridge on which Haig's car was traveling, narrowly missing his car and wounding three of his bodyguards in a following car.<ref name="nytimes">{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1993/11/25/world/german-guilty-in-79-attack-at-nato-on-alexander-haig.html |title= German Guilty in '79 Attack At NATO on Alexander Haig|date=November 25, 1993|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last=Aust |first=Stefan |author-link=Stefan Aust |date=2020 |title= Der Baader-Meinhof-Komplex |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=r-nsDwAAQBAJ&pg=PT866 |publisher=Piper |isbn=978-3-492-23628-7 |page=959 |language=german}}</ref> Authorities later attributed responsibility for the attack to the [[Red Army Faction]] (RAF). In 1993 a German court sentenced [[Rolf Clemens Wagner]], a former RAF member, to life imprisonment for the assassination attempt.<ref name="nytimes" /> During Haig's last month as Supreme Allied Commander Europe, he oversaw the talks and negotiation between the United States and NATO member nations of a new policy following the signing of [[Strategic Arms Limitation Talks|SALT II treaty]] on 18 June 1979, by President [[Jimmy Carter]] and Soviet President [[Leonid Brezhnev]]. However Haig also drew concern regarding the treaty, which he believed benefited the Soviet position by giving them a way to build up their military arsenal.<ref name=":0" />

Haig retired from his position as Supreme Allied Commander Europe in July 1979 and was succeeded by General [[Bernard W. Rogers]], who previously served as [[Chief of Staff of the United States Army|Army Chief of Staff]].<ref name=":0" /> Haig's retirement ceremony took place at [[Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe|NATO Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe]] on 1 July 1979, and was attended by [[United States Secretary of Defense|Secretary of Defense]] [[Harold Brown (Secretary of Defense)|Harold Brown]], [[Secretary General of NATO|NATO Secretary General]] [[Joseph Luns]] and U.S. Ambassador to NATO [[William Tapley Bennett Jr.]]<ref name=":0" />

==Civilian positions==
In 1979, Haig joined the [[Philadelphia]]-based [[Foreign Policy Research Institute]] as director of its Western Security Program, and he later served on the organization's board of trustees.<ref name="philly">{{cite news|url=http://www.philly.com/inquirer/world_us/20100221_Philadelphia_dominated_Haig_s_formative_years.html|date=February 21, 2010|title=Philadelphia dominated Haig's formative years|first=Andrew|last=Maykuth|work=Philadelphia Inquirer}}</ref> Later that year, he was named president and director of [[United Technologies]] Corporation under chief executive officer [[Harry J. Gray]], where he remained until 1981.

==Secretary of State (1981–1982)==
{{Main|Foreign policy of the Ronald Reagan administration}}
[[File:President Ronald Reagan and Alexander Haig meeting in the Oval Office.jpg|thumb|Secretary of State Haig with President Reagan at the Oval Office, 1981]]
Haig was the second of three career military officers to become secretary of state ([[George C. Marshall]] and [[Colin Powell]] were the others). His speeches in this role in particular led to the coining of the neologism "Haigspeak," described in ''a dictionary of neologisms'' as "Language characterized by pompous obscurity resulting from redundancy, the semantically strained use of words, and verbosity,"<ref>Fifty years among the new words: a dictionary of neologisms, 1941–1991, John Algeo, p.231</ref> leading Ambassador [[Nicko Henderson]] to offer a prize for the best rendering of the [[Gettysburg Address]] in Haigspeak.<ref>[http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/b1bf6a90-15b7-11de-b9a9-0000779fd2ac.html Financial Times], London, March 21, 2009</ref>

===Initial challenges===
On 11 December 1980, president-elect Reagan was prepared to publicly announce nearly all of his candidates for the most important cabinet-level posts. Singularly absent from the list of top nominees was his choice for Secretary of State, presumed by many at the time to be Alexander Haig. Haig's prospects for [[Advice and consent#United States|Senate confirmation]] were clouded when Senate Democrats questioned his role in the Watergate scandal. In Haig's defense, North Carolina [[Jesse Helms|Senator Jesse Helms]] claimed to have phoned former president Nixon personally to inquire whether any material on [[Nixon White House tapes|Nixon's unreleased White House tapes]] could embarrass Haig. According to Helms, Nixon replied, "Not a thing."<ref>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1891&dat=19801211&id=iqQfAAAAIBAJ&pg=6295,1424477 |title=Reagan selects half of Cabinet-level staff |date=December 11, 1980 |newspaper=Gadsden Times |agency=Associated Press}}</ref> Haig was eventually confirmed after hearings he described as an "ordeal," during which he received no encouragement from Reagan or his staff.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1984/04/22/books/the-turbulent-tenure-of-alexander-haig.html |title=The Turbulent Tenure of Alexander Haig |newspaper=The New York Times |date=April 22, 1984 |first=James |last=Chace}}</ref>

Several days earlier, on 2 December 1980, as Haig faced these initial challenges to the next step in his political career, four U.S. Catholic missionary women in [[El Salvador]], two of whom were [[Maryknoll Sisters of St. Dominic|Maryknoll sisters]], [[1980 murders of U.S. missionaries in El Salvador|were beaten, raped and murdered]] by five [[National Guard (El Salvador)|Salvadoran national guardsmen]] ordered to follow them. Their bodies were exhumed from a [[Chalatenango Department|remote]] shallow grave two days later in the presence of then-U.S. ambassador to El Salvador [[Robert White (ambassador)|Robert E. White]]. Despite this diplomatically awkward atrocity, the [[Presidency of Jimmy Carter|Carter administration]] soon approved $5.9 million in lethal military assistance to El Salvador's oppressive right-wing government.<ref>{{cite book |last=LeoGrande |first=William | author-link= William M. LeoGrande |title=Our Own Backyard: The United States in Central America, 1977–1992 |publisher=University of North Carolina Press |location=Chapel Hill |year=1998 |isbn= 0807898805 |url=https://archive.org/details/ourownbackyardun0000will |page=70}}</ref> The incoming Reagan administration expanded that aid to $25 million less than six weeks later.{{sfn|LeoGrande|1998|p=89}}

In justifying the arms shipments, the new administration claimed that the Salvadoran government of [[José Napoleón Duarte]] had taken "positive steps" to investigate the murder of four American nuns, but this was disputed by U.S. Ambassador Robert E. White, who said that he could find no evidence the junta was "conducting a serious investigation." White was dismissed from the Foreign Service by Haig because of his complaints. White later asserted that the Reagan administration was determined to ignore and even conceal the complicity of the Salvadoran government and army in the murders.<ref>Bonner, Raymond (November 9, 2014). "Bringing El Salvador Nun Killers to Justice". The Daily Beast. Retrieved January 16, 2018.</ref>

[[File:Prime Minister Menachin Begin of Israel is welcomed by Secretary of State Alexander Haig.jpg|thumb|Haig welcoming Israeli prime minister [[Menachem Begin]] at [[Andrews Air Force Base]], 1982]]
Throughout the [[1980 US presidential election#Campaign|1980 U.S. presidential campaign]], Reagan and his foreign policy advisers faulted the [[Carter administration#Human rights|Carter administration's perceived over-emphasis]] on the human rights abuses committed by authoritarian governments allied to the U.S., labeling it a [[Dictatorships and Double Standards|"double standard"]] when compared with Carter's treatment of [[Eastern Bloc|communist-bloc]] governments. Haig, who described himself as the "[[vicar]]" of U.S. foreign policy,<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.economist.com/node/15577297 |newspaper=The Economist |title=Alexander Haig |date=February 25, 2010}}</ref> believed the human rights violations of a U.S. ally such as El Salvador should be given less attention than the ally's successes against enemies of the U.S., and thus found himself diminishing the murders of the nuns before the [[United States House Committee on Foreign Affairs|House Foreign Affairs Committee]] in March 1981:

{{blockquote|text=I'd like to suggest to you that some of the investigations would lead one to believe that perhaps the vehicle the nuns were riding in may have tried to run through a roadblock, or may have accidentally been perceived to have been doing so, and there may have been an exchange of fire, and then perhaps those who inflicted the casualties sought to cover it up. |sign=Alexander Haig |source=[https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1144&dat=19810319&id=u0QcAAAAIBAJ&sjid=Ll0EAAAAIBAJ&pg=7056,1081511 ''Alexander Haig''], House Foreign Affairs committee testimony, quoted by UPI, 19 March 1981<ref>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1144&dat=19810319&id=u0QcAAAAIBAJ&pg=7056,1081511 |title=Church Women Ran Roadblock, Haig Theorizes |newspaper=Pittsburgh Press |date=19 March 1981 |publisher=[[United Press International|UPI]]|access-date=8 December 2013 }}</ref>}}

The outcry that immediately followed Haig's insinuation prompted him to emphatically withdraw his speculative suggestions the very next day before the [[United States Senate Committee on Foreign Relations|Senate Foreign Relations Committee]].<ref>{{cite book |last1=Michaels |first1=Leonard |last2=Ricks |first2=Christopher |title=The State of the Language |url=https://archive.org/details/stateoflanguage00rick |url-access=registration |edition=2nd |publisher=University of California Press |location=Berkeley |year=1990 |page=[https://archive.org/details/stateoflanguage00rick/page/261 261] |isbn=0520059069}}</ref> Similar public relations miscalculations, by Haig and others, continued to plague the Reagan administration's attempts to build popular support at home for its [[Foreign policy of the Ronald Reagan administration#Latin America|Central American policies]].

===Reagan assassination attempt===
{{See also|Attempted assassination of Ronald Reagan|United States presidential line of succession}}
[[File:Al Haig speaks to press 1981.jpg|thumb|Haig speaking to the press after the Reagan assassination attempt, 1981]]
In 1981, following the 30 March [[Reagan assassination attempt|assassination attempt on Reagan]], Haig asserted before reporters, "I am in control here"<ref>{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=2018-09-06 |title=The 'anonymous official op-ed' is less than it seems |url=https://nypost.com/2018/09/06/the-anonymous-official-op-ed-is-less-than-it-seems/ |access-date=2023-06-13 |language=en-US}}</ref> as a result of Reagan's hospitalization, indicating that, while Reagan had not "transfer[red] the helm," Haig was in fact directing White House crisis management until Vice President [[George H. W. Bush|George Bush]] arrived in Washington to assume that role.

{{blockquote|Constitutionally, gentlemen, you have the president, the vice president, and the secretary of state in that order, and should the president decide he wants to transfer the helm to the vice president, he will do so. He has not done that. As of now, I am in control here, in the White House, pending return of the vice president and in close touch with him. If something came up, I would check with him, of course.|Alexander Haig|[https://web.archive.org/web/20071016074220/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,954230-22,00.html "Alexander Haig"], autobiographical profile in ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]'' magazine, 2 April 1984<ref>{{cite magazine|url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,954230,00.html |title=Alexander Haig |date=2 April 1984 |magazine=[[Time (magazine)|Time]] |page=[https://web.archive.org/web/20080406153923/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,954230-22,00.html 22] of 24 page article |access-date=21 May 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080406153932/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0%2C9171%2C954230%2C00.html |archive-date=April 6, 2008 |url-status=dead }}</ref>}}

The [[U.S. Constitution]], including both the [[United States presidential line of succession|presidential line of succession]] and the [[Twenty-fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution|25th Amendment]], dictates what happens when a president is incapacitated. The [[Speaker of the United States House of Representatives|Speaker of the House]] (at the time, [[Tip O'Neill]], Democrat) and the [[President pro tempore of the United States Senate|president pro tempore of the Senate]] (at the time, [[Strom Thurmond]], Republican), precede the secretary of state in the line of succession. Haig later clarified,

{{blockquote|I wasn't talking about transition. I was talking about the executive branch, who is running the government. That was the question asked. It was not, "Who is in line should the president die?"|Alexander Haig, [https://web.archive.org/web/20021121125557/http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2001/04/23/60II/main287292.shtml "Alexander Haig"] interview with ''[[60 Minutes II]]'' 23 April 2001}}

His reputation never recovered after this press conference,<ref>{{cite book |last=Inboden |first=William |author-link=William Inboden |date=2022 |title=The Peacemaker: Ronald Reagan, the Cold War, and the World on the Brink |publisher=Dutton |isbn=978-1-5247-4589-9 |pages=81–82}}</ref> and in virtually all of the obituaries published after his death, his quote is referenced in the opening paragraphs.

===Falklands War===
[[File:Haig and Thatcher DF-SC-83-06152.jpg|thumb|left|alt=|Haig with British prime minister [[Margaret Thatcher]] at Andrews Air Force Base, 1982]]
{{Main|Falklands War|Events leading to the Falklands War#Shuttle diplomacy and US involvement|l2 = U.S. diplomacy and involvement in the Falklands War}}
In April 1982, Haig conducted [[shuttle diplomacy]] between the governments of [[Argentina]] in Buenos Aires and the United Kingdom in London after [[1982 invasion of the Falkland Islands|Argentina invaded the Falkland Islands]]. Negotiations collapsed and Haig returned to Washington on 19 April. The [[Royal Navy|British naval fleet]] then entered the war zone. In December 2012 documents released under the United Kingdom's [[Thirty-year rule|30 Year Rule]] disclosed that Haig planned to reveal British classified military information to Argentina in advance of the recapture of [[South Georgia Island]]. The information, which contained the plans for [[Operation Paraquet]], was intended to show the [[National Reorganization Process|Argentine military junta]] in Buenos Aires that the United States was a neutral player and could be trusted to act impartially during negotiations to end the conflict.<ref>{{cite news|last=Tweedie |first=Neil |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/defence/9767707/US-wanted-to-warn-Argentina-about-South-Georgia.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220112/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/defence/9767707/US-wanted-to-warn-Argentina-about-South-Georgia.html |archive-date=January 12, 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |title=US wanted to warn Argentina about South Georgia |newspaper=Telegraph |date=2012-12-28 |access-date=2014-06-04}}{{cbignore}}</ref> However, in 2012 it was revealed via documents released from the [[Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum|Reagan Presidential Library]] that Haig attempted to persuade Reagan to side with Argentina in the war.<ref>{{cite news |last=O'Sullivan |first=John |date=2012-04-02 |title=How the U.S. Almost Betrayed Britain |newspaper=The Wall Street Journal |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052702303816504577313852502105454 |access-date=2019-12-06}}</ref>

===1982 Lebanon War===
{{Main|1982 Lebanon War}}
Haig's report to Reagan on 30 January 1982, shows that Haig feared the Israelis might start a war against Lebanon.<ref>Ronald Reagan edited by Douglas Brinkley (2007) ''The Reagan Diaries'' Harper Collins {{ISBN|978-0-06-087600-5}} p. 66 Saturday, January 30</ref> Critics accused Haig of "greenlighting" the [[1982 Lebanon War|Israeli invasion of Lebanon]] in June 1982. Haig denied this and said he urged restraint.<ref name="time">{{cite magazine |url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,952421,00.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090311020406/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,952421,00.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=March 11, 2009 |title=Alexander Haig |magazine=[[Time (magazine)|Time]] |date=April 9, 1984}}</ref>

===Resignation===
Haig caused some alarm with his suggestion that a "nuclear warning shot" in Europe might be effective in deterring the [[Soviet Union]].<ref>Waller, Douglas C. ''Congress and the Nuclear Freeze: An Inside Look at the Politics of a Mass Movement'', 1987. Page 19.</ref> His tenure as secretary of state was often characterized by his clashes with the defense secretary, [[Caspar Weinberger]]. Haig, who repeatedly had difficulty with various members of the Reagan administration during his year-and-a-half in office, decided to resign his post on 25 June 1982.<ref>[http://www.upi.com/Audio/Year_in_Review/Events-of-1982/Alexander-Haig-Resigns---Polish-Solidarity/12295509432066-5/  1982 Year in Review: Alexander Haig Resigns]</ref> President Reagan accepted his resignation on 5 July.<ref>{{cite magazine|last=Ajemian |first=Robert |author2=George J. Church |author3=Douglas Brew |url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,925497,00.html |title=The Shakeup at State |magazine=[[Time (magazine)|Time]] |date=July 5, 1982 |access-date=February 21, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100327061052/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0%2C9171%2C925497%2C00.html |archive-date=March 27, 2010 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Haig was succeeded by [[George P. Shultz]], who was confirmed on July 16.<ref>[https://history.state.gov/departmenthistory/people/shultz-george-pratt ''Short History of the Department of State'', United States Department of State, Office of the Historian]. Retrieved February 20, 2010.</ref>

==1988 Republican presidential primaries==
{{Main|1988 Republican Party presidential primaries}}
Haig ran unsuccessfully for the [[Republican Party presidential primaries, 1988|1988 Republican Party presidential nomination]]. Although he enjoyed relatively high name recognition, Haig never broke out of single digits in national public opinion polls. He was a fierce critic of then–Vice President [[George H. W. Bush]], often doubting Bush's leadership abilities, questioning his role in the [[Iran–Contra affair]], and using the word "wimp" in relation to Bush in an October 1987 debate in [[Texas]].<ref name="nytimes_oldwarrior">{{cite news|last1=Dowd|first1=Maureen|title=Haig, the Old Warrior, in New Battles|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1987/11/21/us/haig-the-old-warrior-in-new-battles.html|access-date=26 May 2015|work=The New York Times|date=21 November 1987}}</ref> Despite extensive personal campaigning and paid advertising in [[New Hampshire]], Haig remained stuck in last place in the polls. After finishing with less than 1 percent of the vote in the [[Iowa caucuses]] and trailing badly in the [[New Hampshire presidential primary|New Hampshire primary]] polls, Haig withdrew his candidacy and endorsed Senator [[Bob Dole]].<ref name="latimes1_1988">{{cite news|title=Haig Calls Meeting to Discuss Campaign|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1988-02-12-mn-28574-story.html|access-date=26 May 2015|work=Los Angeles Times|agency=Associated Press|date=12 February 1988}}</ref><ref name="latimes2_1988">{{cite news|last1=Clifford|first1=Frank|title=Haig Drops Out of GOP Race, Endorses Dole|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1988-02-13-mn-10855-story.html|access-date=26 May 2015|work=Los Angeles Times|date=13 Feb 1988}}</ref>  Dole, steadily gaining on Bush after beating him handily a week earlier in the [[Iowa caucus]], ended up losing to Bush in the New Hampshire primary by 10 percentage points. With his momentum regained, Bush easily won the nomination.

==Later life, health, and death==
[[File:Alexander Haig (48592036202).jpg|thumb|Haig in 2000]]
In 1980 Haig had a double [[coronary artery bypass surgery|heart bypass operation]].<ref>{{cite news|author=Harold Jackson |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2010/feb/20/alexander-haig-obituary |title=obituary |newspaper=[[The Guardian]] |date=February 20, 2010 |access-date=2014-06-04}}</ref>

After leaving the Reagan White House, Haig took a seat on the [[MGM]] board of directors in an effort to cultivate a film career.<ref name="variety1">{{cite news|title=First Look: Famous Firings a Tough Ax to Follow|last=Bart|first= Peter|newspaper=Variety|date=September 28, 2009}}</ref> He supervised the development of [[John Milius]]' ''[[Red Dawn]]'' (1984) and made significant changes to it.<ref name=variety2>{{cite news|url=https://variety.com/1997/voices/columns/red-dawn-shooting-it-the-mcveigh-way-1117859589/|title='Red Dawn': Shooting it the McVeigh way|last=Bart|first= Peter|newspaper=Variety|date=June 16, 1997}}</ref> While heading a consulting firm in the 1980s and 1990s, he served as a director for various struggling businesses, including computer manufacturer [[Commodore International]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.businessweek.com/stories/1991-06-16/al-haig-embattled-in-the-boardroom |archive-url=https://archive.today/20131031181950/http://www.businessweek.com/stories/1991-06-16/al-haig-embattled-in-the-boardroom |url-status=dead |archive-date=October 31, 2013 |title=Businessweek June 16, 1991 |publisher=Businessweek.com |date=1991-06-16 |access-date=2014-06-04}}</ref> He also served as a founding corporate director of [[AOL|America Online]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.acus.org/new_atlanticist/general-alexander-haig-former-saceur-and-atlantic-council-director-dead-85 |title=New Atlanticist |publisher=Acus.org |access-date=2014-06-04 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130430142133/http://www.acus.org/new_atlanticist/general-alexander-haig-former-saceur-and-atlantic-council-director-dead-85 |archive-date=April 30, 2013 }}</ref>

Haig was the host for several years of the television program ''[[World Business Review]]''. At the time of his death, he was the host of ''21st Century Business'', with each program a weekly business education forum that included business solutions, expert interview, commentary, and field reports.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.21cbtv.com/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061025143621/http://www.21cbtv.com/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=October 25, 2006 |title=World Business Review with Alexander Haig |access-date=December 17, 2008 }}</ref> Haig was co-chairman of the American Committee for Peace in the Caucasus, along with [[Zbigniew Brzezinski]] and [[Stephen J. Solarz]]. He was also member of the [[Washington Institute for Near East Policy]] (WINEP) board of advisers.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0EIN/is_2001_Jan_12/ai_69075111 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120708105842/http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0EIN/is_2001_Jan_12/ai_69075111 |url-status=dead |archive-date=July 8, 2012 |title=Business Wire AOL-Time Warner announces its board of directors |access-date=December 17, 2008 |work=Business Wire |date=January 12, 2001 }}</ref>

On 5 January 2006, Haig participated in a meeting at the [[White House]] of former secretaries of defense and state to discuss U.S. foreign policy with Bush administration officials.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov/news/releases/2006/01/images/20060105_d-0300-1-515h.html |title=President George W. Bush poses for a photo Thursday, January 5, 2006, in the Oval Office with former secretaries of state and secretaries of defense from both Republican and Democratic administrations, following a meeting on the strategy for victory in Iraq |access-date=December 17, 2008 |date=January 5, 2006 |publisher=The White House }}</ref> On 12 May 2006, Haig participated in a second White House meeting with 10 former secretaries of state and defense. The meeting included briefings by [[Donald Rumsfeld]] and [[Condoleezza Rice]] and was followed by a discussion with President [[George W. Bush]].<ref name="upi">{{cite web|url=http://www.upi.com/SecurityTerrorism/view.php?StoryID=20060512-111719-8658r|title=Bush discusses Iraq with former officials}}</ref> Haig's memoirs—''Inner Circles: How America Changed The World—''were published in 1992.

On 19 February 2010, a hospital spokesman revealed that the 85-year-old Haig had been hospitalized at [[Johns Hopkins Hospital]] in [[Baltimore]] since January 28 and remained in critical condition.<ref name="aphospitalized">{{cite news|url=http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_HAIG_HOSPITALIZED?SITE=CALAK&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190327232751/http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_HAIG_HOSPITALIZED?SITE=CALAK&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT |archive-date=March 27, 2019 |title=Haig, top adviser to 3 presidents, hospitalized |agency=Associated Press |date=February 19, 2010 |access-date=February 20, 2010 |url-status=dead }}</ref> On February 20, Haig died at the age of 85, from [[complication (medicine)|complications]] from a [[staphylococcal infection]] that he had prior to admission. According to ''[[The New York Times]]'', his brother, Frank Haig, said the Army was coordinating a mass at [[Fort Myer]] in Washington, D.C., and an interment at [[Arlington National Cemetery]], but both had to be delayed by about two weeks owing to the [[War in Afghanistan (2001–present)|wars in Afghanistan]] and [[Iraq War|Iraq]].<ref name = Weiner/> A Mass of Christian Burial was held at the [[Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception]] in Washington, D.C., on 2 March 2010. Eulogies were given by [[Henry Kissinger]] and Sherwood D. Goldberg.<ref>{{cite web|title=Alexander M. Haig, Jr|url=http://usma1947.westpointaog.com/Haig_Obit.html|publisher=West Point Association of Graduates|access-date=August 9, 2011|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120320230017/http://usma1947.westpointaog.com/Haig_Obit.html|archive-date=March 20, 2012|df=mdy-all}}</ref>

President [[Barack Obama]] said in a statement that "General Haig exemplified our finest warrior–diplomat tradition of those who dedicate their lives to public service."<ref name = Weiner/> Secretary of State [[Hillary Clinton]] described Haig as a man who "served his country in many capacities for many years, earning honor on the battlefield, the confidence of presidents and prime ministers, and the thanks of a grateful nation."<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2010/feb/20/haig-former-secretary-state-dies-85/?page=all |title=Alexander Haig, former secretary of state, dies at 85 |newspaper=Washington Times |date=2010-02-20 |access-date=2014-06-04}}</ref>

==Family==
Alexander Haig was married to Patricia (née Fox), with whom he had three children: Alexander Patrick Haig, Barbara Haig, and [[Brian Haig]].<ref name = Weiner/> Haig's younger brother, [[Frank Haig]], was a [[Jesuit]] priest and [[professor emeritus]] of [[physics]] at [[Loyola University Maryland|Loyola University]] in Baltimore, Maryland.<ref name=nyt>{{cite news|first=Albin|last=Krebs|title=NOTES ON PEOPLE; A Haig Inaugurated |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1982/01/25/nyregion/notes-on-people-a-haig-inaugurated.html|work=The New York Times|date=January 25, 1982|access-date=February 25, 2010}}</ref>

==Publications==
'''Articles'''
* [https://www.jstor.org/stable/20671913 "Introduction"]. ''[[World Affairs]]'', Vol. 144, No. 4, ''Statements by Ambassador Max Kampelman before the Madrid Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe'', Spring 1982. {{JSTOR|20671913}} (pp.&nbsp;299–301)
* [https://www.jstor.org/stable/20671920 "Stalemate: The Public Reaction to Poland"]. ''[[World Affairs]]'', Vol. 144, No. 4, ''Statements by Ambassador Max Kampelman before the Madrid Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe'', Spring 1982. {{JSTOR|20671920}} (pp.&nbsp;467–511)
* [https://www.jstor.org/stable/44234902 "U.S. Foreign Policy: A Discussion with Former Secretaries of State Dean Rusk, William P. Rogers, Cyrus R. Vance, and Alexander M. Haig, Jr."]. ''International Studies Notes'', Vol. 11, No. 1, ''Special Edition: The Secretaries of State'', Fall 1984. {{JSTOR|44234902}} (pp.&nbsp;10–20)
* [https://www.jstor.org/stable/165716 "Reply"]. ''Journal of Interamerican Studies and World Affairs'', Vol. 27, No. 2, Summer 1985. {{doi|10.2307/165716}} {{JSTOR|165716}} (pp.&nbsp;23–24)
* [https://www.jstor.org/stable/43648931 "The Challenges to American Leadership"]. ''[[Harvard International Review]]'', Vol. 11, No. 3, ''Tenth Anniversary Issue – American Foreign Policy: Toward the 1990s'', 1989. {{JSTOR|43648931}} (pp.&nbsp;24–29)
* [https://www.jstor.org/stable/24595446 "Nation Building: A Flawed Approach"]. ''[[Brown Journal of World Affairs|The Brown Journal of World Affairs]]'', Vol. 2, No. 1, Winter 1994. {{JSTOR|24595446}} (pp.&nbsp;7–10)

'''Books'''
* ''Caveat: Realism, Reagan and Foreign Affairs''. New York, NY: [[Macmillan Publishing Company]], 1984. {{ISBN|978-0025473706}}. 367 pages.
* [https://archive.org/details/innercircleshowa00haig ''Inner Circles: How America Changed the World: A Memoir'']. New York, NY: [[Warner Books]], 1992. {{ISBN|978-0446515719}} {{LCCN|91050409}}. 650 pages.

'''Contributed works'''
* [https://archive.org/details/isbn_9781881508021 "Foreword". ''Soviet Leaders from Lenin to Gorbachev''] by Thomas Streissguth. Minneapolis, MN: Oliver Press, 1992. {{ISBN|978-1881508021}} {{LCCN|92019903}} (pp.&nbsp;7–8)

==Awards and decorations==
{| style="margin:1em auto; text-align:center;"
|colspan="3"|{{ribbon devices|number=0|type=oak|ribbon=Combat Infantry Badge.svg|width=220|alt=}}
|-
|{{ribbon devices|number=|type=oak|ribbon=Distinguished Service Cross ribbon.svg|width=106}}
|{{ribbon devices|number=1|type=oak|ribbon=Defense Distinguished Service Medal ribbon.svg|width=106}}
|{{ribbon devices|number=|type=oak|ribbon=U.S. Army Distinguished Service Medal ribbon.svg|width=106}}
|-
|{{ribbon devices|number=|type=oak|ribbon=Navy Distinguished Service Medal ribbon.svg|width=106}}
|{{ribbon devices|number=|type=oak|ribbon=Air Force Distinguished Service ribbon.svg|width=106}}
|{{ribbon devices|number=1|type=oak|ribbon=Silver Star ribbon.svg|width=106}}
|-
|{{ribbon devices|number=0|type=oak|ribbon=Legion of Merit ribbon.svg|width=106}}<span style="position:relative; top: 0px; left: -72px; display: inline-block; width: 0;">[[File:Bronze oakleaf-3d.svg|22px]]</span><span style="position:relative; top: 0px; left: -53px; display: inline-block; width: 0;">[[File:Bronze oakleaf-3d.svg|22px]]</span>
|{{ribbon devices|number=0|type=oak|ribbon=Distinguished Flying Cross ribbon.svg|width=106}}<span style="position:relative; top: 0px; left: -72px; display: inline-block; width: 0;">[[File:Bronze oakleaf-3d.svg|22px]]</span><span style="position:relative; top: 0px; left: -53px; display: inline-block; width: 0;">[[File:Bronze oakleaf-3d.svg|22px]]</span>
|{{ribbon devices|number=0|type=oak|ribbon=Bronze Star ribbon.svg|width=106}}<span style="position:relative; top: 0px; left: -83px; display: inline-block; width: 0;">[[File:"V" device, brass.svg|21px]]</span><span style="position:relative; top: 0px; left: -63px; display: inline-block; width: 0;">[[File:Bronze oakleaf-3d.svg|22px]]</span><span style="position:relative; top: 0px; left: -44px; display: inline-block; width: 0;">[[File:Bronze oakleaf-3d.svg|22px]]</span>
|-
|{{ribbon devices|number=|type=oak|ribbon=Purple Heart ribbon.svg|width=106}}
|{{ribbon devices|number=0|type=oak|other_device= |ribbon=Air Medal ribbon.svg|width=106}}<span style="position:relative; top: 0px; left: -70px; display: inline-block; width: 0;">[[File:Award numeral 2.png|20px]]</span><span style="position:relative; top: 0px; left: -54px; display: inline-block; width: 0;">[[File:Award numeral 7.png|20px]]</span>
|{{ribbon devices|number=|type=oak|other_device=|ribbon=Army Commendation Medal ribbon.svg|width=106}}
|-
|{{ribbon devices|number=0|type=service-star|ribbon=American Campaign Medal ribbon.svg|width=106}}
|{{ribbon devices|number=0|type=service-star|ribbon=World War II Victory Medal ribbon.svg|width=106}}
|{{ribbon devices|number=0|type=service-star|ribbon=Army of Occupation ribbon.svg|width=106}}
|-
|{{ribbon devices|number=1|type=service-star|ribbon=National Defense Service Medal ribbon.svg|width=106}}
|{{ribbon devices|number=0|type=service-star|ribbon=Korean Service Medal - Ribbon.svg|width=106}}<span style="position:relative; top: 0px; left: -71px; display: inline-block; width: 0;">[[File:Bronze-service-star-3d-vector.svg|18px]]</span><span style="position:relative; top: 0px; left: -55px; display: inline-block; width: 0;">[[File:Bronze-service-star-3d-vector.svg|18px]]</span><span style="position:relative; top: 0px; left: -87px; display: inline-block; width: 0;">[[File:Bronze-service-star-3d-vector.svg|18px]]</span><span style="position:relative; top: 0px; left: -39px; display: inline-block; width: 0;">[[File:Bronze-service-star-3d-vector.svg|18px]]</span>
|{{ribbon devices|number=0|type=service-star|ribbon=Vietnam Service Medal ribbon.svg|width=106}}<span style="position:relative; top: 0px; left: -71px; display: inline-block; width: 0;">[[File:Bronze-service-star-3d-vector.svg|18px]]</span><span style="position:relative; top: 0px; left: -55px; display: inline-block; width: 0;">[[File:Bronze-service-star-3d-vector.svg|18px]]</span>
|-
|{{ribbon devices|number=0|type=numeral|ribbon=VPD National Order of Vietnam - Commander BAR.svg|width=106}}
|{{ribbon devices|number=0|type=oak|ribbon=VPD National Order of Vietnam - Knight BAR.svg|width=106}}
|{{ribbon devices|number=0|type=oak|ribbon=Vietnam Gallantry Cross, with palm.svg|width=106}}
|-
|{{ribbon devices|number=0|ribbon=PRT Order of Christ - Grand Cross BAR.svg|width=106}}
|{{ribbon devices|number=0|ribbon=BEL - Order of Leopold - Officer bar.svg|width=106}}
|{{ribbon devices|number=0|ribbon=GER Bundesverdienstkreuz 7 Grosskreuz 218px.svg|width=106}}
|-
|{{ribbon devices|number=0|type=oak|ribbon=United Nations Service Medal Korea ribbon.svg|width=106}}
|{{ribbon devices|number=0|type=oak|ribbon=Vietnam Campaign Medal ribbon with 60- clasp.svg|width=106}}
|{{ribbon devices|number=0|ribbon=Republic of Korea War Service Medal ribbon.svg|width=106}}
|-
|}

{| class="wikitable" style="margin:1em auto; text-align:center;"
|colspan="3"|[[Combat Infantryman Badge]]
|-
|[[Distinguished Service Cross (United States)|Distinguished Service Cross]]
|[[Defense Distinguished Service Medal]]<br>w/ 1 bronze [[oak leaf cluster]]
|[[Army Distinguished Service Medal]]
|-
|[[Navy Distinguished Service Medal]]
|[[Air Force Distinguished Service Medal]]
|[[Silver Star]]<br>w/ 1 bronze oak leaf cluster
|-
|[[Legion of Merit]]<br>w/ 2 bronze oak leaf clusters
|[[Distinguished Flying Cross (United States)|Distinguished Flying Cross]]<br>w/ 2 bronze oak leaf clusters
|[[Bronze Star]]<br>w/ [[Valor device]] and 2 bronze oak leaf clusters
|-
|[[Purple Heart]]
|[[Air Medal]]<br>w/ bronze [[award numeral]]s 27
|[[Commendation Medal#Army|Army Commendation Medal]]
|-
|[[American Campaign Medal]]
|[[World War II Victory Medal]]
|[[Army of Occupation Medal]]
|-
|[[National Defense Service Medal]]<br>w/ 1 bronze [[star]]
|[[Korean Service Medal]]<br>w/ 4 bronze [[campaign star]]s
|[[Vietnam Service Medal]]<br>w/ 2 bronze campaign stars
|-
|[[National Order of Vietnam]]<br>(Commander)
|[[National Order of Vietnam]]<br>(Knight)
|[[Vietnam Cross of Gallantry]]<br>w/ Palm
|-
|[[Order of Christ (Portugal)|Grand-Cross of the Portuguese Order of Christ]]<ref>{{cite web|title=Cidadãos Estrangeiros Agraciados com Ordens Portuguesas|url=http://www.ordens.presidencia.pt/?idc=154|website=Página Oficial das Ordens Honoríficas Portuguesas|access-date=1 August 2017}}</ref>
|[[Order of Leopold (Belgium)|Order of Leopold]] (Officer)
|[[Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany]] <br>(Grand Cross 1st Class)
|-
|[[United Nations Korea Medal]]
|[[Vietnam Campaign Medal]]
|[[Korean War Service Medal|Republic of Korea War Service Medal]]
|}

{| style="margin:1em auto; text-align:center;"
|colspan="3"|{{ribbon devices|number=|ribbon=Valorous Unit Award ribbon.svg|width=106}}
|-
|{{ribbon devices|number=|ribbon=Korean Presidential Unit Citation.png|width=106}}
|{{ribbon devices|number=|ribbon=Gallantry Cross Unit Citation.png|width=106}}
|{{ribbon devices|number=|ribbon=Civil Action Unit Citation.png|width=106}}
|}

{| class="wikitable" style="margin:1em auto; text-align:center;"
|colspan="3"|[[Valorous Unit Award]]
|-
|[[Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation]]
|[[Vietnam Gallantry Cross|Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross Unit Citation]]
|[[Vietnam Civil Actions Medal|Republic of Vietnam Civil Actions Medal Unit Citation]]
|}

{| style="margin:1em auto; text-align:center;"
|colspan="3"|{{ribbon devices|number=|ribbon=Coat of arms of Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe.svg|width=170}}
|}

{| class="wikitable" style="margin:1em auto; text-align:center;"
|colspan="3"|[[Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe|SHAPE]] Badge
|}

===Other honors===
In 1976, Haig received the Golden Plate Award of the [[Academy of Achievement|American Academy of Achievement]].<ref>{{cite web|title= Golden Plate Awardees of the American Academy of Achievement |website=www.achievement.org|publisher=[[American Academy of Achievement]]|url= https://achievement.org/our-history/golden-plate-awards/#public-service}}</ref> In 2009, Haig was recognized for their generous gift in support of academic programs at West Point by being inducted into the Eisenhower Society for Lifetime Giving.<ref>{{cite web|title= The Dedication of the Alexander M. Haig, Jr. Room|publisher= West Point |url= https://www.west-point.org/class/usma1947/al_haig.html}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==Further reading==
* Colodny, Len and Robert Gettlin. ''Silent Coup: The Removal of a President''. New York City: [[St. Martin's Press]], 1991.
* Haig, Alexander. ''Caveat: Realism, Reagan and Foreign Affairs''. New York City: [[Macmillan Publishing Company]], 1984.
* Haig, Alexander and Charles McCarry. [https://archive.org/details/innercircleshowa00haig ''Inner Circles: How America Changed the World'']. [[Grand Central Publishing]], 2 January 1994.
* [[Seymour Hersh|Hersh, Seymour]]. [https://archive.org/details/priceofpower00hers ''The Price of Power: Kissinger in the Nixon White House'']. New York City: [[Summit Books]], 1983. {{ISBN|0-671-50688-9}}
* Morris, Robert. [https://archive.org/details/haiggeneralsprog00morr ''Haig: The General's Progress'']. {{ISBN|0872237532}} {{LCCN|81082835}}. 490 pages.

==External links==
{{Commons category|Alexander Haig}}
{{Wikiquote}}
* [https://www.cbsnews.com/news/the-day-reagan-was-shot/ The Day Reagan was Shot]  article on Haig
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20041217100952/http://www.colorado.edu/conflict/peace/example/wynd7306.htm The Falklands: Failure of a Mission] critique of Haig's mediation efforts
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20071117101750/http://www.sargentportraits.com/military/haig2.htm Portrait of Alexander Haig] by [[Margaret Holland Sargent]]
* {{C-SPAN|181}}
* {{IMDb name|id=0354067}}
* [https://ancexplorer.army.mil/publicwmv/#/arlington-national/search/results/1/CgRoYWlnEglhbGV4YW5kZXI-/ ANC Explorer]

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