The name of Henry Kissinger is nearly synonymous with power, success, and diplomacy. So closely associated with global affairs during the decade of the 1970s, Kissinger was a dominant force in international politics for over five decades. Here are five interesting facts about this man of power.
First, Henry Kissinger was born in Germany in 1923 and immigrated to the United States in 1938. At age 22, Kissinger enlisted in the U.S. Army and served in Europe. During his military service, he was awarded two Purple Hearts and a Bronze Star.
Second,Henry Kissinger rose to the position of National Security Advisor in 1969. He served until 1975 and, during his tenure, he was an incredibly influential figure in American foreign policy. He is perhaps best known for facilitating the Detente between the United States and the Soviet Union.
Third, Kissinger won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1973 alongside North Vietnamese negotiator Le Duc Tho for their work negotiating the Paris Peace Accords, which ended the Vietnam War. However, this feat was difficult to achieve as Le Duc Tho refused to accept the award.
Fourth, Henry Kissinger holds a doctorate in both political science and history from Harvard University and served as a faculty member at Harvard’s John F. Kennedy School of Government. He also served on the staff of President Richard Nixon, where he was charged with forming the United States’ first foreign policy in the post-Cold War era.
Finally, Kissinger is the author of dozens of books on history and international relations. His best-known work, Diplomacy, was published in 1994 and is considered a seminal work in foreign policy studies. His other books include Years of Renewal, Nuclear Weapons and Foreign Policy, and World Order.
Henry Kissinger is a legendary figure in American and world politics. However, his legacy is a complex one, contested by many for different reasons. Yet, the fact remains that Kissinger’s legacy is one of immense contribution to global affairs that will live on largely unchanged.