{"record":{"affiliations":[{"polityId":"polity-3fcc9adb88012825729f2b2c","sourceIds":["growth-person-e88f4e89df3f291af467c3ae-secretary-haig-alexander-meigs"]}],"aliases":["Alexander Meigs Haig Jr.","Alexander M. Haig Jr.","Al Haig"],"appointmentIds":[],"appointmentsDataset":"https://chanceries.org/diplomats.json","archivalSources":[],"canonicalUrl":"https://chanceries.org/diplopedia/people/person-e88f4e89df3f291af467c3ae-2c4492d9ec/","countrySlug":null,"countrySlugs":["china","argentina","united-kingdom","russia","germany"],"entityId":"https://chanceries.org/diplopedia/people/person-e88f4e89df3f291af467c3ae-2c4492d9ec/#person","eventIds":[],"expandedParagraphs":["Alexander Haig served as Secretary of State under Ronald Reagan from January 1981 to July 1982. A career Army officer who fought in Korea and Vietnam, he had worked for Henry Kissinger, served as White House chief of staff under Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford, and commanded NATO forces in Europe. He entered the department determined to restore its central role in directing foreign policy.","Haig supported Reagan’s emphasis on resisting Soviet influence and strengthening the Western alliance. He dealt with the Soviet presence in Afghanistan, repression of Solidarity in Poland, and disputes with China over American relations with Taiwan. His negotiations sought to preserve relations with Beijing while maintaining arms sales and other ties to Taiwan.","The 1982 conflict over the Falkland Islands tested his ability to mediate between Britain and Argentina. His shuttle diplomacy failed to prevent the war, and the United States ultimately supported Britain. He also faced renewed conflict involving Israel, Lebanon, and Syria. Disagreements within the administration limited his control over these issues, despite his effort to establish a single line of authority through the department. Haig resigned after roughly eighteen months. His tenure illustrates the difficulty of translating military command experience into leadership of a cabinet department within a divided presidential advisory system."],"id":"global:person-e88f4e89df3f291af467c3ae","identifiers":{},"identityScope":"global","legacyPersonIds":[],"legacyUrl":"https://chanceries.org/diplomat-2c4492d9ec770d3c96d6.html","name":"Alexander Haig","notes":[],"paragraphSources":[["growth-person-e88f4e89df3f291af467c3ae-secretary-haig-alexander-meigs"],["growth-person-e88f4e89df3f291af467c3ae-secretary-haig-alexander-meigs"],["growth-person-e88f4e89df3f291af467c3ae-secretary-haig-alexander-meigs"]],"profileUrl":"diplomat-2c4492d9ec770d3c96d6.html","relatedEvents":[],"relatedPeople":[],"relationships":[],"researchStatus":"reviewed","reviewedOn":"2026-11-04","revision":"74731b7b4a83b90f","sources":[{"accessedOn":"2026-11-04","date":"","id":"growth-person-e88f4e89df3f291af467c3ae-secretary-haig-alexander-meigs","locator":"Introduction, Rise to Prominence, Influence on American Diplomacy, and service chronology","publisher":"U.S. Department of State, Office of the Historian","title":"Biographies of the Secretaries of State: Alexander Haig","type":"institutional","url":"https://history.state.gov/departmenthistory/people/haig-alexander-meigs"}],"topics":[]},"schemaVersion":1}