About our Henry Kissinger news
Latest news on Henry Kissinger, a prominent and controversial figure in U.S. foreign policy who died on 29 November 2023 at the age of 100 at his home in Connecticut.
Born Heinz Alfred Kissinger in Fürth, Germany, in 1923, he immigrated to the U.S. in 1938 as a Jewish refugee fleeing Nazi Germany. He became a U.S. citizen in 1943 and served in the U.S. Army's Counter Intelligence Corps during World War II. Kissinger later graduated summa cum laude from Harvard College, earned an M.A. and a Ph.D., and then joined the Harvard faculty.
Kissinger was a national security adviser and secretary of state under Presidents Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford. He was known for his role in shaping U.S. foreign policy, particularly through his support of realpolitik - a theory of politics based on practical rather than moral or ideological considerations. His tenure was marked by significant and often controversial decisions and actions. He played a pivotal role in prolonging the Vietnam War and expanding it into neutral Cambodia, and he was involved in the facilitation of genocides in Cambodia, East Timor, and Bangladesh. Additionally, he accelerated civil wars in southern Africa and supported coups and death squads in Latin America.
Throughout his career, Kissinger faced criticism and accusations of war crimes and human rights abuses. Christopher Hitchens, in his book "The Trial of Henry Kissinger," called for Kissinger's prosecution for various international law offenses. Despite these accusations, Kissinger was never charged or prosecuted for the deaths for which he was held responsible.
Kissinger's legacy extends to the present, influencing U.S. foreign policy and military actions, including the war on terror. His approaches and justifications for actions such as the bombing of Cambodia have been seen as a framework for later U.S. military interventions and strategies. His complex legacy remains a topic of debate among historians, political scientists, and the public.