Kissinger, who served as the Secretary of State under two Presidents, passed away at his Connecticut home on Wednesday at the age of 100, as confirmed by a statement from Kissinger Associates.
Kissinger's legacy is a complex tapestry of reverence and controversy. Supporters laud him as a brilliant strategist, while critics decry him as a master manipulator. His diplomatic strategies, particularly the policy of détente with the Soviet Union and the initiation of rapprochement with China, have left an indelible mark on U.S. foreign policy. His negotiation of the Paris Peace Accords in 1973, which aimed to end U.S. involvement in Vietnam, earned him the Nobel Peace Prize.
However, his policies have not been without controversy. Journalist Seymour Hersh once remarked in 2002, "The dark side of Henry Kissinger is very, very dark." Despite this, Kissinger's influence extended beyond the realm of politics. His personal life, marked by relationships with Hollywood actresses such as Jill St. John, Shirley MacLaine, Marlo Thomas, Candice Bergen, and Liv Ullman, was a testament to his famous quote, "Power is the ultimate aphrodisiac."
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Kissinger's influence remained potent even after his departure from public life. His meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing in July is a testament to this. Xi greeted Kissinger with deep respect, stating, "The Chinese people never forget their old friends, and Sino-U.S. relations will always be linked with the name of Henry Kissinger."
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Born Heinz Alfred Kissinger in Fürth, Bavaria, Germany, on May 27, 1923, Kissinger was known for his intellect from a young age. His biographer, Walter Isaacson, wrote, "Henry Kissinger grew up with that do mix of ego and insecurity that comes from being the smartest kid in the class." Kissinger, along with his younger brother, Walter, and his parents, fled the Nazis and arrived in New York in 1938.
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After serving in the U.S. military and becoming a U.S. citizen, Kissinger attended Harvard, where he earned bachelor's and master's degrees and a Ph.D. He then joined the Harvard faculty, becoming an expert in international relations and an adviser to government agencies under Presidents John F. Kennedy and Lyndon Johnson.
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In 1969, he was appointed national security adviser to Nixon. As head of the National Security Council, Kissinger wielded significant power in devising and executing U.S. foreign policy, largely circumventing then-Secretary of State William P. Rogers. His involvement in the Vietnam conflict, including the bombing of Cambodia and Laos, remains controversial.
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In 1973, Kissinger began secret talks with North and South Vietnam, negotiating the Paris Peace Accords to end direct U.S. military involvement in Vietnam and an end to the war. Despite the cease-fire not lasting, Kissinger was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize that year, jointly with his North Vietnamese counterpart Le Duc Tho.
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Kissinger's involvement in the September 1973 coup to oust Chilean Marxist President Salvador Allende, which paved the way for the totalitarian regime of Gen. Augusto Pinochet, has also been a point of contention. On Sept. 22, 1973, Nixon appointed Kissinger secretary of state, a role he maintained under Ford after Nixon resigned in 1974 in the aftermath of the Watergate scandal.
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After leaving politics in 1976, Kissinger returned to academia at Georgetown University's Center for Strategic and International Studies think tank. He also founded his international consulting firm, Kissinger Associates, and served as a director on a number of boards for corporations and nonprofit organizations.
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Kissinger authored several books on public policy and three memoirs. In one, 1982's "Years of Upheaval," he described what he presumably considered his own role, stating, "Statesman create; ordinary leaders consume. The ordinary leader is satisfied with ameliorating the environment, not transforming it; a statesman must be a visionary and an educator."
Kissinger is survived by his wife, Nancy, whom he married in 1974, and two children, David and Elizabeth, from his first marriage. His passing marks the end of an era in American diplomacy, leaving behind a legacy that will continue to shape U.S. foreign policy for years to come.
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