Kissinger at 100: Controversial diplomat who left footprints world over

Henry Kissinger, a retired US diplomat, is widely remembered for shaping US foreign policy, albeit with many controversies that continue to mire his time in office over several decades.

On Saturday, May 27, Kissinger turns 100 – capping an extraordinary career that saw him become the very name of US diplomacy, serving as both a top diplomat and security advisor to presidents Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford.

Among his supporters, Kissinger is largely regarded as positively shaping US foreign policy, while his detractors accuse him of war crimes and human rights abuses. Kissinger was born Heinz Alfred Kissinger on 27 May 1923 in the northern Bavarian city of Furth in Germany. In 1938, his Jewish family fled to the US to escape Nazi persecution.

About five years later, Kissinger became a naturalised US citizen and served in the army between February 1943 to July 1946.

After his wartime service, he graduated summa cum laude from Harvard College in 1950, then received his MA and PhD degrees from Harvard University in 1952 and 1954.

He went on to teach at Harvard University before moving into the realm of foreign policy. In 1969, then-US President Nixon selected Kissinger to become a National Security Advisor, pursuing nationalist interests.

During his time in office, Kissinger's brand of policy-making became known as 'realpolitik'.

Experts suggest it was predicated on maximising the US’ economic and military power through a transactionalist approach where often moral and ideological considerations played less of a role.

However, Kissinger's detractors say it brought disastrous ends, from fostering coups to dictatorships and leading to bloodshed in different parts of the globe.

Latin America

In Latin America, Kissinger is believed by some to have played a destabilising role in the region, notably in Bolivia and Uruguay.

In Chile, he backed the dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet, who overthrew democratically-elected socialist President Salvador Allende.

In Argentina, declassified files revealed Kissinger's role in supporting a dictatorship that overthrew the government of Eva Peron.

During a dark and turbulent chapter in the country’s history, political dissidents were persecuted by state forces.

Rights groups estimate 30,000 people were arrested, tortured and killed, while many bodies were never recovered in Argentina.

Notable controversies

Among many controversies that blighted his career, Kissinger’s role during the Vietnam War is talked about till now.

As Nixon sought to bring about the end to the war, Kissinger allegedly ordered bombings in Cambodia and Laos to hit Hanoi's supplies. According to reports, Kissinger approved 3,875 bombing raids.

Human Rights Watch said the bombings left around 350,000 Laotian civilians and 600,000 Cambodian civilians dead.

Historians say he also approved Indonesia's bloody invasion of East Timor in 1975 and overlooked military atrocities amid Bangladesh's war of independence in 1971.

Nevertheless, Kissinger helped to bring about a ceasefire in Vietnam in January 1973 through negotiations in Paris.

In the aftermath, he was co-awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, although Hanoi's Le Duc Tho refused to accept the accolade.

China and the Soviet Union

Kissinger played a pivotal role in fostering relations with communist China, helping to lay the foundations for a landmark visit by Nixon as Washington established ties with Beijing. In the proceeding years, China would go on to become the second-largest economy due to its robust manufacturing industry.

His visits to China and the Soviet Union helped to install the notion of detente in US policy-making, as the country pushed to end hostilities with communist nations. In 1974 he was credited for so-called ‘shuttle diplomacy’, defusing tensions in the Middle East that eventually contributed to the 1975 Sinai Accord, as Israel and Egypt nations agreed to end the war.

In 1977, Kissinger left office to work at Georgetown University before returning to government service in 1985 after being selected for the Foreign Intelligence Advisory Board in the Reagan administration.

Consultancy work

After leaving office, the retired diplomat has enjoyed economic rewards, providing consultancy services to enterprises in China and advocating in favour of China and away from current US foreign policy.

According to some estimates, Kissinger is rumoured to hold a net worth of $50 million, largely gained through his ties to the International consultancy firm Kissinger Associates.

In 2002, President George W Bush chose Kissinger to chair the independent inquiry into events around the terrorist attacks on the US in September 2001.

However, he stepped down when questions related to a possible conflict of interest were raised, following his personal stake in his consultancy firm.

He has also authored several books on diplomacy and international relations.