He was considered one of the most influential diplomats of the 20th century and beyond, but was also highly controversial. Legendary former US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger has died at the age of 100.
Kissinger, born in Fürth, Bavaria, died on Wednesday at his home in the US state of Connecticut, his consultancy Kissinger Associates announced.
The Secretary of State under American Presidents Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford had an enormous influence on international politics. As national security advisor and secretary of state in the 1970s, he pushed for the easing of relations with the Soviet Union. He played a key role in the 1972 SALT I arms control treaty. He also initiated a cautious rapprochement with communist-ruled China.
In 1973, Kissinger received the Nobel Peace Prize together with North Vietnamese chief negotiator Le Duc Tho for a ceasefire in the Vietnam War. But despite the agreement, the war continued and Tho even refused the prize.
Indicted for ‘unscrupulous power politics’.
For critics, Kissinger became the epitome of the unscrupulous power politician who enforced American interests with a heavy hand. He was sharply criticized for shared US responsibility for Pinochet’s 1973 coup in Chile. Kissinger also approved Indonesia’s bloody invasion of East Timor in 1975.
Flight from the Nazi regime
Kissinger was born on May 27, 1927 in Fürth as Heinz Alfred Kissinger into a Jewish family of teachers. In 1938, the family fled the Nazi regime to the US, where Kissinger was later naturalized. He taught international relations at Harvard University and was appointed national security advisor by President Nixon in 1969. In 1973, he was appointed to the post of United States Secretary of State, which he held until 1977.
After his reign, the diplomatic legend with the gnarled bass voice remained an influential advisor and wrote numerous books. It wasn’t until July that Kissinger traveled to China and met with President Xi Jinping.
Funeral in a small circle
Now Kissinger died at the age of 100. “With the passing of Henry Kissinger, America has lost one of its most trusted and distinctive voices in foreign policy,” said former US President George W. Bush.
Kissinger will now be buried in a private ceremony with his family, his consultancy announced. A memorial service will be held in New York at a later date.
Source: Krone
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