Henry Kissinger

Henry Kissinger
Official portrait, c. 1973
56th United States Secretary of State
In office
September 22, 1973 – January 20, 1977
President
Deputy
Preceded byWilliam Rogers
Succeeded byCyrus Vance
7th United States National Security Advisor
In office
January 20, 1969 – November 3, 1975
President
  • Richard Nixon
  • Gerald Ford
Deputy
Preceded byWalt Rostow
Succeeded byBrent Scowcroft
Personal details
Born
Heinz Alfred Kissinger

(1923-05-27)May 27, 1923
Fürth, Bavaria, Germany
DiedNovember 29, 2023(2023-11-29) (aged 100)
Kent, Connecticut, U.S.
Resting placeArlington National Cemetery
Citizenship
Political partyRepublican
Spouses
Ann Fleischer
(m. 1949; div. 1964)
(m. 1974)
Children2
Education
Occupation
  • Diplomat
  • political scientist
  • politician
Civilian awardsNobel Peace Prize
1973
Signature
Military service
Branch/serviceUnited States Army
Years of service1943–1946
RankSergeant
Unit
Battles/wars
Military awardsBronze Star

Henry Alfred Kissinger[a] (May 27, 1923 – November 29, 2023) was an American diplomat, political scientist, geopolitical consultant, and politician who served as the United States secretary of state and national security advisor in the presidential administrations of Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford between 1969 and 1977.[4]

Born in Germany, Kissinger came to the United States in 1938 as a Jewish refugee fleeing Nazi persecution. He served in the U.S. Army during World War II, and, after the war, was educated at Harvard University, where he excelled academically. He later became a professor of government at the university and earned an international reputation as an expert on nuclear weapons and foreign policy. He frequently acted as a consultant to government agencies, think tanks, and the presidential campaigns of Nelson Rockefeller and Richard Nixon before being appointed national security advisor.

Kissinger pioneered the policy of détente with the Soviet Union, orchestrated an opening of relations with China, engaged in "shuttle diplomacy" in the Middle East to end the Yom Kippur War, and negotiated the Paris Peace Accords, which ended American involvement in the Vietnam War. For his role in negotiating the end of the Vietnam War, he was awarded the 1973 Nobel Peace Prize under controversial circumstances.[5] A practitioner of a pragmatic approach to politics called Realpolitik, he has been widely considered by scholars to have been an effective secretary of state.[6]

Kissinger is also associated with controversial U.S. policies, including its bombing of Cambodia, involvement in the 1973 Chilean coup d'état, support for Argentina's military junta in its Dirty War, support for Indonesia in its invasion of East Timor, and support for Pakistan during the Bangladesh Liberation War and Bangladesh genocide.[7] He was accused of war crimes for the civilian death toll of the policies he pursued, his role in facilitating U.S. support for dictatorial regimes, and willful ignorance towards human rights abuses committed by the United States and its allies.[8][9]

After leaving government, Kissinger founded Kissinger Associates, an international geopolitical consulting firm. He authored over a dozen books on diplomatic history and international relations. His advice was sought by American presidents of both political parties.[10][11]

  1. ^ Kissinger, Henry A. (April 3, 2020). "The Coronavirus Pandemic Will Forever Alter the World Order". The Wall Street Journal. Archived from the original on April 18, 2020. Retrieved April 20, 2020.
  2. ^ Kalb, Marvin; Kalb, Bernard (1974). Kissinger. Little, Brown. p. 40. ISBN 978-0-09-122300-7.
  3. ^
  4. ^ "The Nobel Peace Prize 1973". Nobel Foundation. Archived from the original on October 26, 2019. Retrieved February 4, 2019.
  5. ^ Feldman, Burton (2000). The Nobel Prize: A History Of Genius, Controversy, and Prestige. Arcade Publishing. p. 16. ISBN 978-1-55970-537-0. Two members publicly resigned when the peace prize was awarded to Henry Kissinger and Le Duc Tho in 1973 for a cease-fire in the Vietnam War.
  6. ^ "TRIP Snap Poll III: Seven Questions on Current Global Issues for International Relations Scholars" (PDF). p. 9. Archived (PDF) from the original on November 30, 2023. Retrieved November 30, 2023.
  7. ^ Bass, Gary (September 21, 2013). "Blood Meridian". The Economist. Archived from the original on September 19, 2013. Retrieved February 13, 2016.
  8. ^ "Protesters Heckle Kissinger, Denounce Him for 'War Crimes'". The Times of Israel. January 30, 2015. Archived from the original on December 22, 2015. Retrieved December 14, 2015.
  9. ^ Nevius, James (February 13, 2016). "Does Hillary Clinton see that invoking Henry Kissinger harms her campaign?". The Guardian. Archived from the original on January 30, 2020. Retrieved October 23, 2016. many consider Kissinger a war criminal, most famously Christopher Hitchens, who, in a lengthy two-part article for Harper's in 2001 (later expanded into the book and documentary, The Trial of Henry Kissinger), laid out his case that Kissinger should be brought up on charges 'for war crimes, for crimes against humanity, and for offenses against common or customary or international law, including conspiracy to commit murder, kidnap, and torture'.
  10. ^ Green, Erica L.; Bennett, Kitty (November 30, 2023). "Kissinger Had the Ear of Presidents. He Had Their Awe and Ire, Too". The New York Times. Archived from the original on December 3, 2023. Retrieved December 10, 2023.
  11. ^ "Every president invites Henry Kissinger to the White House — except Biden". July 9, 2022. Archived from the original on July 10, 2022. Retrieved December 10, 2023.


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