Henry Kissinger, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate and influential figure in U.S. foreign policy, passed away at his home in Connecticut on Wednesday at the age of 100, according to a statement from Kissinger Associates Inc.
Despite his age, Kissinger remained active, participating in White House meetings, authoring a book on leadership styles, and testifying before a Senate committee about North Korea’s nuclear threat. In July 2023, he made a surprise visit to Beijing to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping.
A legacy of diplomatic achievements and controversies: During the 1970s, Kissinger played a pivotal role in several global events while serving as secretary of state under Republican President Richard Nixon. His diplomatic efforts led to the opening of China, and U.S.-Soviet arms control talks, expanded ties between Israel and its Arab neighbors, and the Paris Peace Accords with North Vietnam.
However, Kissinger’s influence on U.S. foreign policy diminished with Nixon’s resignation in 1974. Despite this, he continued to be a diplomatic force under President Gerald Ford and remained vocal about his views throughout his life.
Kissinger’s support for anti-communist dictatorships, particularly in Latin America, led some to label him a war criminal. In his later years, his travels were limited by attempts by other nations to arrest or question him about past U.S. foreign policy.
His 1973 Peace Prize, awarded jointly with North Vietnam’s Le Duc Tho (who declined it), was one of the most controversial ever. Two members of the Nobel committee resigned over the selection, and questions arose about the U.S. secret bombing of Cambodia.
Personal life and early years: Born Heinz Alfred Kissinger in Furth, Germany, on May 27, 1923, he moved to the United States with his family in 1938 before the Nazi campaign to exterminate European Jews. He became a naturalized U.S. citizen in 1943, served in the Army in Europe in World War Two, and went to Harvard University on scholarship, earning a master’s degree in 1952 and a doctorate in 1954.
Despite his stern demeanour and distinctive German-accented voice, Kissinger was known as a ladies’ man in his bachelor days, often seen with starlets in Washington and New York. He once told a journalist he saw himself as a cowboy hero, riding off alone.
Kissinger’s impact on U.S. foreign policy and his controversial legacy continue to be subjects of debate. His passing marks the end of an era in American diplomacy.
In 1972, Kissinger declared that “peace is at hand” in Vietnam. However, the Paris Peace Accords reached in January 1973 were merely a prelude to the final Communist takeover of the South two years later. In addition to his role as national security adviser, Kissinger was named secretary of state in 1973, giving him unchallenged authority in foreign affairs.
Shuttle diplomacy and the opening of China: Kissinger became famous for his so-called “shuttle” diplomacy, a brand of highly personal, high-pressure diplomacy. He spent 32 days shuttling between Jerusalem and Damascus, helping forge a long-lasting disengagement agreement between Israel and Syria in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights.
To diminish Soviet influence, Kissinger reached out to its chief communist rival, China. His visits, including a secret one to meet with Premier Zhou Enlai, resulted in Nixon’s historic summit in Beijing with Chairman Mao Zedong and the eventual formalization of relations between the two countries.
Kissinger’s pioneering efforts at detente led to a relaxing of U.S.-Soviet tensions. In 1974, he accompanied President Ford to Vladivostok in the Soviet Union, where they agreed to a basic framework for a strategic arms pact with Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev.
However, Kissinger’s diplomatic skills had their limits. He was criticized for failing to persuade Israel and Egypt to agree to a second-stage disengagement in the Sinai in 1975. During the India-Pakistan War of 1971, Nixon and Kissinger were heavily criticized for tilting toward Pakistan.
Latin American policies and post-government life: Kissinger’s actions in response to the spread of left-wing ideas in the Western hemisphere caused deep suspicion of Washington from many Latin Americans for years to come. He plotted with the CIA on how best to destabilize and overthrow the Marxist but democratically elected Chilean President Salvador Allende in 1970.
After leaving government, Kissinger set up a high-priced, high-powered consulting firm in New York, which offered advice to the world’s corporate elite. He served on company boards and various foreign policy and security forums, wrote books, and became a regular media commentator on international affairs.
Personal life: Divorced from his first wife, Ann Fleischer, in 1964, he married Nancy Maginnes, an aide to New York Governor Nelson Rockefeller, in 1974. He had two children by his first wife.
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