The Jewish professor who fled Nazi Germany to the United States in 1938 became an authoritative figure in American politics. Henry Kissinger served as Secretary of State and National Security Advisor of the United States under Republican Presidents Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford.
He left his mark on the world, especially during the Cold War. He introduced pragmatic ‘Realpolitik’ into the anti-communist foreign policy of the United States. As architect of the ‘policy of détente’, he ensured rapprochement with China and Russia. He managed to convince broad American political circles that it was better to accept communist Moscow and Beijing as great powers with whom it would be better to coexist peacefully.
Controversial Nobel Prize
In the early 1970s he received the Nobel Peace Prize for his role in the negotiations regarding the departure of the American army from Vietnam. The awarding of the prize was controversial. The Nobel Committee wanted to honor Kissinger and the North Vietnamese negotiator Le Duc Tho, but the North Vietnamese refused the prize because the war had not yet ended. Kissinger did accept the prize. Two members of the Nobel Committee resigned over Kissinger’s selection. They were critical of the American secret bombing of Cambodia during the Vietnam War.
Even later in life, Kissinger continued to play a role in American international politics. Last July he visited Beijing, where he was received by China’s Supreme Leader Xi Jinping. Kissinger tried to improve the relationship between the United States and China to prevent World War III.
Former American President George W. Bush has expressed his appreciation for Kissinger. “America has lost one of its most independent and distinctive voices in foreign affairs,” he said in a statement on his website.
Kissinger’s death was announced by his company Kissinger Associates Inc. He died at his home in Connecticut.