Henry Kissinger, the influential U.S. diplomat central to the Cold War era, credited with facilitating U.S.-China relations, negotiating arms control agreements with the Soviet Union, and concluding the Vietnam War, has passed away at the age of 100.
Kissinger, a German-born Jewish refugee whose career spanned academia to diplomacy, maintained an active role in foreign policy until his later years. He died at his Connecticut home on Wednesday, as announced by his geopolitical consulting firm, Kissinger Associates.
Prominent during the 1970s Cold War period, Kissinger served as national security adviser and secretary of state under President Richard Nixon. Following Nixon’s resignation in 1974, he continued as a diplomatic force during President Gerald Ford’s term.
Kissinger played a pivotal role in the U.S. opening with China, significant U.S.-Soviet arms control negotiations, improved relations between Israel and Arab nations, and the Paris Peace Accords with North Vietnam.
While admired for his brilliance by many, Kissinger faced accusations of supporting anti-communist dictatorships, particularly in Latin America, leading some to label him a war criminal. In his later years, he encountered restrictions on his travels due to attempts by certain countries to question him regarding past U.S. foreign policy.
President Joe Biden, acknowledging frequent disagreements with Kissinger, praised his “fierce intellect and profound strategic focus.” International leaders also shared diverse reactions, with Beijing recognizing him as a “good old friend of the Chinese people,” Putin praising him as a “wise and farsighted statesman,” and Netanyahu highlighting Kissinger’s statesmanship. However, Bangladesh’s Foreign Minister Abdul Momen recalled Kissinger’s role in the 1971 war between West and East Pakistan.
Tributes from around the world poured in, reflecting on Kissinger’s complex legacy, as Secretary of State Antony Blinken acknowledged his profound impact on shaping history, and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin described him as a “rare scholar turned strategist.”
