Henry Kissinger, a diplomatic powerful man who won the contentious Nobel Peace Prize and irreversibly altered US foreign policy during his tenure as secretary of state and national security adviser to two presidents, passed away on Wednesday at the age of 100.
According to a statement from Kissinger Associates Inc., his geopolitical consulting firm, the former president passed away at his home in Connecticut. The conditions were not mentioned.
It stated that he would be laid to rest at an intimate family funeral and that a public memorial service in New York City would take place afterwards.
Kissinger’s life
After turning 100, Kissinger continued to be involved in public life. He gave testimony to a Senate committee about the threat of nuclear weapons by North Korea, attended White House meetings, and published a book on leadership styles. He unexpectedly travelled to Beijing in July 2023 to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
He worked under Republican President Richard Nixon as secretary of state and national security adviser during the 1970s Cold War, contributing to many of the decade’s historic international events.
The German-born Jewish refugee’s efforts resulted in the Paris Peace Accords with North Vietnam, expanded ties between Israel and its Arab neighbours, historic US-Soviet arms control talks, and the US opening diplomatic relations with China.
He worked under Republican President Richard Nixon as secretary of state and national security adviser during the 1970s Cold War, contributing to many of the decade’s historic international events.
The German-born Jewish refugee’s efforts resulted in the Paris Peace Accords with North Vietnam, expanded ties between Israel and its Arab neighbours, historic US-Soviet arms control talks, and the US opening diplomatic relations with China.
Controversy around Henry Kissinger
Following Nixon’s resignation in 1974 due to the Watergate scandal, Kissinger’s influence as the principal creator of US foreign policy began to decline. Despite this, he remained a powerful diplomat for the remainder of his life, serving as secretary of state under President Gerald Ford, Nixon’s successor.
