Henry Kissinger

Henry Alfred Wolfgang Kissinger (born Heinz Alfred Wolfgang Kissinger; May 27, 1923 – November 29, 2023), pronounced /ˈkɪsɪndʒər/,[2] was a German-American political scientist, diplomat, and winner of the Nobel Peace Prize.[3] He served as both National Security Advisor and later as Secretary of State in the Nixon Administration and the Ford Administration.[3]

Henry Kissinger
Henry A Kissinger.jpg
56th United States Secretary of State
In office
September 22, 1973 – January 20, 1977
PresidentRichard Nixon
Gerald Ford
DeputyKenneth Rush
Robert Ingersoll
Charles Robinson
Preceded byWilliam Rogers
Succeeded byCyrus Vance
United States National Security Advisor
In office
January 20, 1969 – November 3, 1975
PresidentRichard Nixon
Gerald Ford
Preceded byWalt Rostow
Succeeded byBrent Scowcroft
22nd Chancellor of The College of William & Mary
In office
February 10, 2001 – April 7, 2006
Preceded byMargaret Thatcher
Succeeded bySandra Day O'Connor
Personal details
Born
Heinz Alfred Kissinger

(1923-05-27)May 27, 1923
Fürth, Bavaria, Germany[1]
DiedNovember 29, 2023(2023-11-29) (aged 100)
Kent, Connecticut, U.S.
Political partyRepublican
Spouse(s)
Ann Fleischer
(m. 1949; div. 1964)

Nancy Maginnes (m. 1974)
Alma materCity University of New York, City College
Harvard University
Signature
Military service
Allegiance United States
Branch/serviceUnited States Army seal United States Army
RankSergeant
Unit970th Counter Intelligence Corps

Early life

Kissinger was born in Germany in 1923. As a German Jew, it was not safe for him to stay in Germany after Adolf Hitler came to power, and he left for the United States in 1933. He fought for the US against the Nazis in World War Two.

Nixon administration

Kissinger was Richard Nixon's most trusted advisor on foreign affairs. He was in government during the Cold War and promoted what he called "realpolitik" in dealing with the Soviet Union and Communist China. He was a major force behind the 1973 ceasefire in the Vietnam War. He won a Nobel Peace Prize for the ceasefire, but the agreement fell apart in 1975. Under Kissinger, the US opened up relations to China, which is considered one of his biggest successes. He also supported détente, an easing of the rivalry with the Soviets.

Later years

In his later years, Kissinger — along with William Perry, Sam Nunn, and George Shultz — called upon governments to reduce nuclear weapons, and in three Wall Street Journal articles proposed a program of urgent steps to that end. The four have created the Nuclear Security Project to advance this cause.[4]

Kissinger died at the age of 100 on November 29, 2023, at his home in Kent, Connecticut.[5]

Legacy

His legacy is often debated by historians. Some people criticize him, even calling him a criminal, for his tactics during the Cold War, notably supporting a military junta in Chile and backing Pakistan during the Bangladesh War. Many people, however, consider Kissinger a great figure in modern American history who ended the Vietnam War, opened up China, and supported peace in the Cold War.

Henry Kissinger Media

References

  1. Isaacson, pp 20.
  2. "Definition of KISSINGER". www.merriam-webster.com.
  3. 3.0 3.1 "Ex-US Secretary of State Kissinger hospitalized". Retrieved 2010-03-13.[dead link]
  4. Maclin, Beth (2008-10-20) "A Nuclear weapon-free world is possible, Nunn says"[dead link], Belfer Center, Harvard University. Retrieved on 2008-10-21.
  5. Pengelly, Martin (2023-11-30). "Henry Kissinger, secretary of state to Richard Nixon, dies at 100" (in en-GB). The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077 . https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/nov/29/henry-kissinger-dies-secretary-of-state-richard-nixon. Retrieved 2023-11-30. 

Other websites