Henry Kissinger

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

## Early life

Kissinger was born in Germany in 1923. As a 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 United States against the Germans during World War II.

## Nixon administration

Kissinger was US President Richard Nixon's most trusted advisor on foreign affairs. He was in government during the Cold War and promoted what he called realpolitik of avoiding idealism in dealing with the Soviet Union and Communist China. He was a major force behind the 1973 ceasefire in the Vietnam War.

Under Kissinger, the United States opened up relations to Communist China, which is considered one of his biggest successes, to balance the power of the Soviet Union. He also supported détente, an easing of the Cold War with the Soviets.

## Nobel Prize

Kissinger and Lê Đức Thọ were jointly offered the 1973 Nobel Peace Prize for their work on the Paris Peace Accords, which led to the withdrawal of American forces from the Vietnam War. Lê Đức Thọ declined to accept the award and said that peace had not actually been achieved in Vietnam. Kissinger donated his prize money to charity, did not attend the award ceremony, and later offered to return his prize medal after the fall of South Vietnam to North Vietnamese forces 18 months later.

## Later years

In his later years, Kissinger, along with William Perry, Sam Nunn, and George Shultz, called upon governments to reduce nuclear weapons. In three _Wall Street Journal_ articles, they proposed a program of urgent steps to that end. The four have  the Nuclear Security Project to advance thqt cause.

Kissinger died at the age of 100 on November 29, 2023, at his home in Kent, Connecticut, from congestive heart failure.

## 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 by supporting a military junta in Chile and backing Pakistan during the Bangladesh Liberation 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.

## Other websites

- Annotated Bibliography for Henry Kissinger from the Alsos Digital Library for Nuclear Issues
- Official Website of Henry A. Kissinger
- "Charlie Rose"  A conversation with Henry Kissinger, December 16, 2008
- Henry Kissinger speaks at the Asia Society, NYC, February 2007
- Kissinger's political donations
- NPR: Kissinger Speech at National Press Club . Towards the end [55:55], he responds to Hitchens.

## Infobox (officeholder)

- **name**: Henry Kissinger
- **image**: Henry A Kissinger.jpg
- **caption**: Official portrait, 1973
- **office**: 56th United States Secretary of State
- **president**: Richard Nixon
Gerald Ford
- **deputy**: Kenneth Rush
Robert S. Ingersoll, Robert Ingersoll
Charles W. Robinson, Charles Robinson
- **term start**: September 22, 1973
- **term end**: January 20, 1977
- **predecessor**: William P. Rogers, William Rogers
- **successor**: Cyrus Vance
- **office1**: National Security Advisor (United States), United States National Security Advisor
- **president1**: Richard Nixon
Gerald Ford
- **term start1**: January 20, 1969
- **term end1**: November 3, 1975
- **predecessor1**: Walt Whitman Rostow, Walt Rostow
- **successor1**: Brent Scowcroft
- **office2**: 22nd Chancellor of The College of William & Mary
- **term start2**: February 10, 2001
- **term end2**: April 7, 2006
- **predecessor2**: Margaret Thatcher
- **successor2**: Sandra Day O'Connor
- **birth place**: Fürth, Bavaria, Weimar Republic, Germany
- **birth name**: Heinz Alfred Kissinger
- **death place**: Kent, Connecticut, United States, U.S.
- **resting place**: Arlington National Cemetery
- **party**: Republican Party (United States), Republican
- **spouse**:

- **alma mater**: City College of New York, City University of New York, City College
Harvard University
- **signature**: Henry Kissinger Signature 2.svg
- **branch**:  United States Army
- **rank**: Sergeant
- **unit**: 970th Counter Intelligence Corps