Henry Kissinger is considered one of the most important United States Secretaries of State of the 20th century and played an important role in the creation of the post-World War II world.
It is Henry Kissinger, a major controversial figure in American diplomacy and Secretary of State under Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford died at the age of 100Wednesday, November 29th.
Heinz Alfred Kissinger was born on May 27, 1923 in a Jewish family in Fürth In Germany he emigrated to the USA with his family in 1938 fled from National Socialist persecution and became a naturalized American in 1943.
He also served as an interpreter and intelligence officer in the U.S. Army during World War II.
A graduate of Harvard University, where he received his doctorate in political science in 1950, he subsequently taught at that institution, where he became professor of international relations in 1954.
He was appointed in 1969 National Security Advisor by President Richard Nixon. He then played an important role in shaping American foreign policy in the 1970s. His image has been tarnished by dark pages in the history of the United States, such as his support of the attempted coup in Chile in 1973 or the invasion of East Timor in 1973, 1975 and of course the Vietnam War.
Nobel Prize
In 1973, Henry Kissinger was appointed Secretary of State by Richard Nixon. In this role he continued his détente policy towards the Soviet Union and China. In the same year, he shared the Nobel Peace Prize with Lê Đức Thọ for his efforts to bring peace in Vietnam.
The diplomat left the American government in 1977, at the end of Gerald Ford’s term, and then pursued a career as a geopolitical advisor.
A controversial figure, he is often criticized for his methods described as “realpolitik” or “results diplomacy”. He is also accused of contributing to atrocities committed by Pakistan and of supporting dictators, particularly in South America.
His supporters say he was a great diplomat who contributed to world peace and stability.