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Favorable or Unfavorable #368: Alexander Haig


vcczar

Favorable or Unfavorable #368: Alexander Haig  

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  1. 1. Did you read my first comment?

  2. 2. Favorable or Unfavorable #368: Alexander Haig



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Gen. Alexander Haig has a rather strange career. He wasn't even general-rank during the bulk of the Vietnam War. Nixon appears to have promoted him from relative obscurity, eventually controversially having him skip 3-star general for 4-star general, which must have seriously upset a lot of 3-star generals, especially considering Haig hadn't done much up to that time to warrant the promotion. I think Nixon was probably trying to distract from Watergate. He then replaced his soon-to-be convicted Chief of Staff with the general as Chief of Staff, not long after promotion. 

Ford would move him to command NATO and Carter kept him on at this role. Haig is best known as the Sec of State for Reagan, in which role he's sometimes considered to have been inept. He disappears until he runs for president Post-Reagan. 

His actions:

Haig, Alexander 1972 Promoted to Maj Gen
Haig, Alexander 1973 Youngest 4-star general in history, making the mark before age 50; skipped 3-star general rank
Haig, Alexander 1973 Appt WH Chief of Staff by Nixon
Haig, Alexander 1974 Kept on as WH Chief off Staff briefly by Ford
Haig, Alexander 1974 Appt Supreme Allied Commander in Europe (NATO) by Ford
Haig, Alexander 1977 Kept on as Supreme Allied Commander in Europe by Carter
Haig, Alexander 1981 Confirmed Sec of State for Reagan
Haig, Alexander 1981 Criticized for assuming he was in control after Reagan was shot by a would-be assassin
Haig, Alexander 1982 Clashes with Reagan's admin and resigns, criticized for suggesting using nukes in Europe to intimidate USSR
Haig, Alexander 1988 Rep pres cand
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