Henry Kissinger Wife: Meet Nancy Kissinger

Publish date: 2024-08-22

Henry Kissinger Wife: Meet Nancy Kissinger: Born on May 27, 1923, Henry Kissinger, officially known as Henry Alfred Kissinger is an American diplomat, geopolitical consultant, and politician.

Growing up, he enjoyed playing soccer. He played for the youth team of SpVgg Furth, which was one of the nation’s best clubs at the time

Born in Furth, Bavaria, Germany, Henry Kissinger originally arrived in the United States as a political refugee escaping Jewish persecution in Bavaria.

He excelled academically and graduated from Harvard College in 1950 where he earned his MA and PhD degrees at the University in 1951 and 1954, respectively.

He eventually became a naturalized citizen, and after a stint in the army, he became one of the most influential politicians and advisers of the latter 20th century.

Kissinger was one of the most vocal figures in the implementation of US foreign policy under presidents Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford.

As a practitioner of Realpolitik, he played a prominent role in United States foreign policy between 1969 and 1977, pioneering the policy of détente with the Soviet Union.

He also orchestrated an opening of relations with the People’s Republic of China, engaging in what became known as shuttle diplomacy in the Middle East to end the Yom Kippur War.

Apart from the above-mentioned, Kissinger also negotiated the Paris Peace Accords, which ended American involvement in the Vietnam War.

He has also been associated with such controversial policies as U.S. involvement in the 1973 Chilean military coup, a “green light” to Argentina’s military junta for their Dirty War.

Kissinger is also linked to the U.S. support for Pakistan during the Bangladesh Liberation War despite a genocide being perpetrated by Pakistan.

He served as United States Secretary of State and National Security Advisor under the presidential administrations of Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford.

After leaving government, he formed Kissinger Associates, an international geopolitical consulting firm. He has also written over a dozen books on diplomatic history and international relations.

Kissinger remains a controversial and polarizing figure in U.S. politics, both venerated by some as a highly effective U.S. Secretary of State and condemned by others for allegedly tolerating or supporting war crimes committed by allied nation-states during his tenure.

A 2015 survey of top international relations scholars, conducted by the College of William & Mary, ranked Kissinger as the most effective U.S. secretary of state in the 50 years to 2015.

Following the demise of centenarian George Shultz in February 2021, Kissinger is the oldest living former U.S. Cabinet member and the last surviving member of Nixon’s Cabinet.