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Henry Kissinger

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Henry Kissinger

Henry (Heinz) Alfred Kissinger (born May 27, 1923) is a German-born American diplomat and Nobel Peace Prize winner who played an important part in foreign affairs through the positions he held in several Republican administrations between 1969 and 1977. Kissinger, in both public and private life, is a very controversial figure and has been accused by individuals of war crimes committed in several countries.

Personal background

Kissinger was born in Fürth, Germany as Heinz Alfred Kissinger into a family of Jewish religion. In 1938, fleeing Adolf Hitler's persecution his family moved to New York City. Kissinger was naturalized a U.S. citizen on June 19, 1943.

He spent his high-school years in the Washington Heights section of upper Manhattan but never lost his pronounced German accent. Kissinger attended George Washington High School at night and worked in a shaving-brush factory during the day. While attending City College of New York, in 1943, he was drafted into the army and became a German interpreter for the 970th Counter-intelligence Corps.

Henry Kissinger received his BA degree summa cum laude at Harvard College in 1950. Urban legend has it Kissinger is the only person to receive a perfect grade point average from Harvard, but in fact he received one 'B' in his senior year, while others have gotten perfect GPAs, though it is exceptionally rare. He received his MA and Ph.D. degrees at Harvard University in 1952 and 1954, respectively. His doctoral dissertation was titled A World Restored: Metternich, Castlereagh and the Problems of Peace 1812–22. It is often said that his Ph.D. dissertation is the longest among Harvard Ph.D. dissertations.

Politically ambitious, he cultivated relations with Nelson Rockefeller. When, in 1968, it became clear that Richard Nixon would be elected president, Kissinger became an advisor to Nixon.

In 1998 Kissinger became a Citizen of Honour of his hometown Fürth. During his whole life he has been a supporter of the football club Spielvereinigung Fürth. In 2004, he visited his hometown again.

Political History

Egyptian Foreign Minister Ismail Fahmi, Richard Nixon, and Henry Kissinger

Kissinger was Richard Nixon's National Security Advisor (1969-73) and later his Secretary of State (1973-74). He also stayed on as President Gerald Ford's Secretary of State from 1974-77.

While working for Nixon, Kissinger established the policy of détente with the Soviet Union. He also negotiated the Strategic Arms Limitation Talks (culminating in the SALT I treaty) and the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty. In July and October 1971, Kissinger made two secret trips to the People's Republic of China to confer with Premier Zhou Enlai and to set the stage for the groundbreaking 1972 summit between the PRC and the US as well as the normalization of relations between the two countries. Today, Kissinger is often called by Chinese leaders "the old friend of the Chinese people." His talk with Zhou Enlai was highly secretive. Recently declassified documents show that the talk highly focused on the Taiwan issue.

Kissinger, shown here with Zhou Enlai and Mao Zedong, negotiated the normalization of relations with Communist China.

He was awarded the 1973 Nobel Peace Prize, along with Le Duc Tho of Vietnam, for their work on the Vietnam peace accords. Kissinger and Nixon had come to office in 1968 on a promise of a quick end to the Vietnam War, but the intervening years saw an escalation in conflict as well as its extension to an illegal US bombing campaign (overseen by Kissinger) in Laos and Cambodia. Le Duc Tho refused the prize on the grounds that there was as yet no peace. Kissinger's acceptance prompted Tom Lehrer and possibly Terry Southern [1] to declare satire to be dead.

In 1973, Kissinger negotiated the end of the Yom Kippur War. The war began with Egypt's invasion of the Sinai and Syria's invasion of the Golan Heights. Israel was unprepared for the intensity of the first several days of the attack. Kissinger negiotated an end for the war on the basis of understanding between the several pan-Arab powers and Israel that Israel lost the war. This was not necessarily the case.

The purpose was to create the illusion that Israel had finally lost a war, and thus end the need for further organized pan-Arab wars against Israel. Israel has not been attacked by a national backed army since then. What is more remarkable is that Kissinger maneuvered both Egypt's Sadat and Israel's Meir into agreeing to this solution.

Kissinger may have played a role in the September 11, 1973, coup by Augusto Pinochet against the government of Chilean President Salvador Allende. Documentary evidence shows CIA interest in promoting a coup, but Kissinger says he reversed his initial position supporting a coup well before it happened.

Despite occasional allegations of underhanded dealings in foreign countries, Kissinger was largely popular with the public and became one of the better-liked members of the increasingly unpopular Nixon administration. Kissinger had little involvement with the Watergate scandal that would eventually bring down Nixon and many of his closest aides – a fact which greatly increased Kissinger's reputation as the "clean man" of the bunch. At the height of his popularity he was even regarded as something of a sex symbol and was seen dating starlets such as Jill St. John, Shirley MacLaine, and Candice Bergen.

Following Nixon's 1974 resignation, Kissinger stayed on as Secretary of State under new President Gerald Ford.

In December 1975, Kissinger and Ford met with President Suharto of Indonesia; on that occasion they gave their approval for his invasion of East Timor, which led to the massacre of 200,000 Timorese. Until the release of documents confirming his foreknowledge of the invasion, Kissinger claimed that he was unaware of Suharto's intentions when he left Jakarta. Kissinger still maintains that the nature and influence of his "approval" of the invasion are presented radically out of context. He argues that the invasion was already a foregone conclusion planned well in advance, and was not simply something that he convinced Suharto to do on the spot. However, Kissinger's apparent strong dislike of discussing the issue remains the chief source of controversy (see below).

Secretary of State Henry A. Kissinger uses the telephone.

After the Ford administration, he played a relatively minor role in subsequent governments (perhaps, some have alleged, due to a bad relationship with George Bush), although he continued to participate in policy groups such as the Trilateral Commission and do political consulting, speaking, and writing.

In 2002, President George W. Bush appointed Kissinger to chair a committee to investigate the events of the September 11 attacks. His appointment led to widespread criticism, generally taken from the position that Kissinger has never been supportive of the public's right to know, but also from the position that Kissinger is viewed by many as a war criminal in his own right (see "Accusations Against Henry Kissinger", below). In response, Congressional Democrats insisted that Kissinger file financial disclosures to reveal any conflicts of interest. Both Bush and Kissinger claimed that Kissinger did not need to file such forms, since he would not be receiving a salary. When the Democrats insisted, however, Kissinger resigned from the commission. On December 13, 2002, he stepped down as chairman, citing conflict of interest with his clients.

With his first wife, Ann Fleischer, he had two children, Elizabeth and David. He currently lives with his second wife, the former Nancy Maginnes, in Kent, Connecticut. He is currently the head of Kissinger and Associates, a consulting firm.

Accusations against Henry Kissinger

In recent years Kissinger's reputation has declined noticeably, with the former Secretary being the target of many harsh criticisms for his actions while in office. Though he was always a controversial figure, the fact that he is one of the longest-lived members of the Nixon administration, and still a prominent political advisor, author, and pundit, have ensured that his critics have remained vigilant as ever.

In The Trial of Henry Kissinger (2001), Christopher Hitchens accuses Kissinger of conspiracy to commit murder and war crimes. The February and March 2001 issues of Harper's Magazine feature a series by Hitchens on the case for charging Kissinger with war crimes. Hitchens argues that (1) on at least one occasion, Henry Kissinger conspired to commit murder, and (2) on numerous other occasions, Kissinger was the primary force behind certain acts that could quite plausibly be considered war crimes.

The primary charges against Kissinger:

Regarding East Timor, previously secret documents released in late 2001 revealed that Kissinger indeed gave Suharto his support for the invasion of East Timor during a visit to Indonesia in 1975, thus refuting his claim in a 1999 interview that he had not discussed the matter in advance and only found out about it as he was leaving the country. As many as 200,000 people may have died as a result of the invasion. Although it was illegal for the arms that the US supplied to Indonesia to be used for offensive purposes, the documents revealed that Kissinger was unconcerned over the illegality of their use; his primary concern was over manipulating the public perception of what happened. "We would be able to influence the reaction in America if whatever happens, happens after we return", he was quoted as saying.

Kissinger has refused to respond to Hitchens's charges point by point. In a speech before the National Press Club he was asked about the charges and his response is that in the cause of world peace, serious people can have legitimate disagreements about the means. However, Kissinger claims that in attempting to create a war crimes charge, Hitchens used selective quotations and documents without taking into account the context and the situation in which those documents were written. Further, Kissinger claims that Hitchens ignores the significant advances in world peace that were taken under his tenure, such as the Anti-Ballistic Treaty, détente and arms reduction treaties with the Soviet Union, the opening to China, and the withdrawal from Vietnam. He adds that Hitchens's charges are nothing more than the politics of revenge and that they cheapen and mock the concept of war crimes and crimes against humanity. Moreover, Kissinger claims that this mockery of the concept of war crimes is an obstacle to creating the just and peaceful world that Hitchens claims to wish to create, and thus will not respond to him.

Other critics of the war crimes charges similarly dismiss the allegations as overtly partisan, and poorly researched. Conservative commentator David Horowitz described Kissinger as a "political deus ex machina" whom members of the political left increasingly use to explain the cause of any foreign conflict, violence, or coup during the 70's. Supporters of Kissinger point out that Kissinger himself has detailed his own versions of the events in question in his memoirs and writings, and has fully justified his past actions.

It is worth noting that Hitchens is not the first person to accuse Kissinger of war crimes. As of May 2002, he is wanted for questioning in Chile (related to the Pinochet coup) and Spain.

Hitchens's book inspired a feature-length documentary, "The Trials of Henry Kissinger", directed by Eugene Jarecki, which also highlighted the charges against Kissinger.

A suit was filed on September 10, 2001, by the family of Gen. Rene Schneider, former head of the Chilean general staff, accusing Kissinger of arranging his 1970 murder for opposing a military coup. [2]

Kissinger and Argentina

Recently declassified documents obtained by the National Security Archive show that Henry Kissinger did not raise objections to the practices of the dictatorial Argentine military junta; the junta was exercising total authority over combatting active leftist guerrilla groups such as the Montoneros and ERP. It is known to have "disappeared" approximately 10,000 to 30,000 Argentines, many believed to be nonviolent dissidents, and tortured thousands more at documented secret detention centers. However, the junta's restrictions on free speech were somewhat relaxed by new chairman General Leopoldo Galtieri in 1981.

In a meeting, Secretary Kissinger told Argentine Foreign Minister Admiral Cesar Augusto Guzzetti:

  • "Let me say, as a friend, that I have noticed that military governments are not always the most effective in dealing with these problems. ...So after a while, many people who don't understand the situation begin to oppose the military and the problem is compounded. The Chileans, for example, have not succeeded in getting across their initial problem and are increasingly isolated. You will have to make an international effort to have your problems understood. Otherwise, you, too, will come under increasing attack. If there are things that have to be done, you should do them quickly. But you must get back quickly to normal procedures."

He also assured Guzzetti that the U.S. would not cause the junta any "unnecessary difficulties" and urged them to complete their mission and get back to normal procedures before Congress reconvened and had a chance to consider sanctions.

Quotes by Kissinger

  • "It is an act of insanity and national humiliation to have a law prohibiting the President from ordering assassination." - At a National Security Council meeting, 1975. [3]
  • "The absence of alternatives clears the mind marvelously."
  • "Foreign Policy is not missionary work."
  • "Power is the greatest aphrodisiac."
  • "Ninety percent of the politicians give the other ten percent a bad reputation."
  • "I don't see why we need to stand by and watch a country go communist due to the irresponsibility of its people." - September 1970, regarding the recent election of the socialist Salvador Allende as president of Chile.

See also: Henry Kissinger on Wikiquote

Business interests

He has his own consulting company Kissinger and Associates, and also Kissinger McLarty Associates with Mack McLarty. He also serves on various boards of directors including Hollinger International.

Partial bibliography

  • Foreign policy
    • Rescuing the World: The Life and Times of Leo Cherne by Andrew F. Smith, Henry A. Kissinger (2002) ISBN 0791453790
    • Does America Need a Foreign Policy?: Toward a Diplomacy for the 21st Century (2001) ISBN 0684855674
    • Diplomacy (1994) ISBN 067165991X
    • On Men and Power: A Political Memoir by Helmut Schmidt, Henry Kissinger (1990) ISBN 0224027158
    • Observations: Selected Speeches and Essays 1982-1984 (1985) ISBN 0316496642
    • For the Record: Selected Statements 1977-1980 (1981) ISBN 0316496634
    • American Foreign Policy: Three Essays (1974) ISBN 0393055256
    • A World Restored: Metternich, Castlereagh and the Problems of Peace, 1812-22 (1973) ISBN 0395172292
    • The Troubled Partnership: A Re-Appraisal of the Atlantic Alliance(1965) ISBN 0070348952
    • The Necessity for Choice: Prospects of American Foreign Policy (1961) ISBN 0060124105
    • Nuclear Weapons and Foreign Policy (1957)
  • Memoirs
    • Crisis: The Anatomy of Two Major Foreign Policy Crises: Based on the Record of Henry Kissinger's Hitherto Secret Telephone Conversations (2003) ISBN 0743249100
    • Vietnam: A Personal History of America's Involvement in and Extrication from the Vietnam War (2002) ISBN 0743219163
    • Kissinger Transcripts: The Top Secret Talks With Beijing and Moscow by Henry Kissinger, William Burr (1999) ISBN 1565844807
    • Years of Renewal (1999) ISBN 0684855712
    • Years of Upheaval (1982) ISBN 0316285919
    • The White House Years (1979) ISBN 0316496618
  • Biographies
    • The Flawed Architect: Henry Kissinger and American Foreign Policy by Jussi M. Hanhimaki (2004) ISBN 0195172213
    • The Trial of Henry Kissinger by Christopher Hitchens (2001) ISBN 1859846319
    • Kissinger: A Biography by Walter Isaacson (1992) ISBN 0671663232
    • The Nixon-Kissinger Years: Reshaping of America's Foreign Policy by Richard C. Thornton (1989) ISBN 0887020518
    • The Price of Power: Kissinger in the Nixon White House by Seymour Hersh (1983) ISBN 0671447602
    • Kissinger by Marvin L. Kalb, Bernard Kalb (1974) ISBN 0316482218
    • Kissinger on the Couch by Phyllis Schlafly (1974) ISBN 0870002163
    • Kissinger: Portrait of a Mind by Stephen Richards Graubard (1973) ISBN 0393054810


Preceded by:
William P. Rogers 		United States Secretary of State Succeeded by:
Cyrus Vance
Preceded by:
Walt Rostow 		National Security Advisor Succeeded by:
Brent Scowcroft
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