On Wednesday, November 29, at the age of 100, Henry Alfred Kissinger passed away, leaving behind a diplomatic legacy often likened to Klemens von Metternich, the conservative statesman credited with restoring a balance of power in Europe post-Napoleon.
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Kissinger, a conservative internationalist, favored engagement over neutrality but always prioritized American interests, working towards stability that would benefit the United States.
His notable achievement was the strategic separation of communist China from the Soviet Union. Orchestrating a thaw in relations, he facilitated President Richard M. Nixon’s historic visit to China in 1972, isolating the USSR and contributing to its eventual collapse.
While praised for his diplomatic successes, Kissinger faced criticism from the left for expanding the Vietnam War to Cambodia and supporting right-wing dictatorships globally as a countermeasure to Soviet influences. His controversial actions led to accusations of war crimes, especially from figures like Christopher Hitchens.
Regardless of admiration or criticism, Kissinger epitomized American realpolitik, echoing the pragmatic approach of 19th-century statesman Otto von Bismarck in his native Germany.
Born Heinz Alfred Kissinger to a Jewish family in Fürth, Germany, he arrived in the U.S. as a teenage refugee from the Nazis in 1938, later serving in the U.S. Army in Germany.
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Returning to the U.S., Kissinger studied at Harvard, where his extensive undergraduate thesis on history and politics gained legendary status. He became a respected scholar in international affairs before advising the U.S. government. In 1968, he became Nixon’s National Security Advisor and retained the title when appointed Secretary of State in 1973.
Facing challenges like the Yom Kippur War in 1973, Kissinger balanced supporting Israel and maintaining détente with the Soviet Union. He played a crucial role in the Vietnam War’s resolution, earning the 1973 Nobel Peace Prize. Despite the tumultuous American withdrawal from Saigon in 1975, Kissinger retained his position as Secretary of State under President Gerald Ford.
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After leaving public office, Kissinger continued to advise global leaders and write about foreign policy for almost half a century. In his later years, he took a controversial stance on the Ukraine war, emphasizing a settlement recognizing Russia’s role in Europe to prevent a closer Russia-China alliance, a perspective that gains relevance in the face of the ongoing stalemate and the emerging Russia-China axis.
