I've read, variously, that Al Haig was either the de facto President of the US after he became Chief of Staff in May 1973...Or alternatively that he simply aided Nixon rather than trying to dethrone him or secretly run the government; that Nixon, while weak, was still in power until July 1974.
Who was making the decisions in that May '73 to August '74 period? Who was running the government?
Nixon was basically focusing on Watergate and effectively ceded government to Haig. I know at one point, Haig asked the Pentagon not to follow any direct orders not confirmed (as did the Secretary of Defense). There were worries that Nixon would either attempt a coup, or launch a nuclear strike.
