Who Is He?: Henry Kissinger was born May 27, 1923 in Germany. His Jewish family fled Nazi persecution and arrived in New York City in 1938. He later became a U.S. citizen and received bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees from Harvard University. He served as National Security Adviser and Secretary of State under Presidents Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford. He won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1973 for his work on negotiations to end the Vietnam War.
Henry Kissinger's Foreign Policy: Kissinger advocated and led a U.S. foreign policy very focused on protecting and advancing U.S. interests abroad even if it meant supporting repressive governments which rejected American political and civil values. In practice, this meant closer U.S. relations with authoritarian regimes in Iran, Chile, and Indonesia among others. It also led to a new, more relaxed relationship with the Soviet Union, known as detente, and more direct relations with the communist-led People's Republic of China.
Passionate Criticism: Human rights groups and others have been highly critical of Henry Kissinger and the policies he implemented. Some have even accused him of committing war crimes in half a dozen different instances. These charges are covered in several books, including "The Trial of Henry Kissinger" by Christopher Hitchens.
Henry Kissinger Today: Kissinger is a prolific author with a number of bestselling books and memoirs covering world affairs and U.S. history. His 1994 book "Diplomacy" is a sweeping survey of international relations in the western world over the last 200 years. Today, Kissinger is a consultant and serves on a variety of corporate boards. He continues to confer with top American officials on a number of foreign policy issues.
