Kissinger was born in Germany on May 27, 1923, and played a key role in American foreign policy in the 1960s and 1970s, notably during the withdrawal of American troops from Vietnam.
Kissinger’s son David noted that his father “not only outlived most of his peers, prominent critics and students, but remained tirelessly active over the past 90 years”.
In recent years, Kissinger has continued to influence Washington as a statesman. He was appointed expert and adviser by the Democratic and Republican presidents. For example, when Donald Trump was the head of the White House.
As early as this month, Kissinger opined that the war in Ukraine was reaching a tipping point due to China’s entry into the negotiations. He told CBS News he expects the talks to be completed “by the end of the year.” He called for peace through diplomacy.
In 2021, Kissinger also co-authored a book on artificial intelligence titled The Age of Artificial Intelligence: And Our Human Future. He warned that governments should be prepared for the potential risks associated with this technology.
During his eight years as national security adviser and secretary of state, Kissinger was involved in major foreign policy developments, including the first example of “shuttle diplomacy” to achieve peace. in the Middle East, secret negotiations with China to unfreeze superpower relations, and the launch of the Paris peace talks aimed at ending the conflict in Vietnam and the US military presence there.
Kissinger, along with Nixon, also came under fire from American allies when communist North Vietnamese forces captured Saigon in 1975 and remaining American personnel fled the city now known as Ho Chi Minh City.
Additionally, Kissinger has been accused of organizing the spread of conflict to Laos and Cambodia, which helped bring the genocidal Khmer Rouge regime to power, which killed an estimated 2 million Cambodians.
Kissinger has been recognized as the central driving force behind the period of détente, which marked diplomatic efforts between the United States and the Soviet Union from 1967 to 1979 to reduce Cold War-era tensions through trade agreements and a range of mutual arms reduction negotiations, including strategic arms control treaties.
Kissinger remained one of Nixon’s most trusted advisers throughout his administration from 1969 to 1974. His influence only grew during the Watergate trials, which led to the resignation of the 37th President of the United States. United.
Gerald Ford, who took over the Oval Office as vice president after his predecessor resigned, awarded Kissinger the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1977, saying Kissinger “used America’s great strength wisely and compassion in the service of the world”.
However, many accuse Kissinger of being more concerned with power than harmony during his time in Washington, pursuing realpolitik in favor of American interests, aiding or supporting repressive regimes in Pakistan, Chile and Indonesia.
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