WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 27th May, 2023) Former US Secretary of State and prominent geopolitical thinker Henry Kissinger turns 100 years old on Saturday, as his contributions to contemporary political discourse and the field of international relations continue following a storied life and career.
"By any standard, Kissinger is a great figure in American and diplomatic history and destined to inspire controversy among historians for generations to come," former US Assistant Defense Secretary for International Security Affairs Chas Freeman told Sputnik.
Born as Heinz Alfred Kissinger to a Jewish family in Germany in 1923, Kissinger's family immigrated to the United States in 1938 amid the anti-Semitism of the Nazi regime. After moving to the US, Kissinger adopted the name Henry.
Nevertheless, Kissinger's background gave him a "German perspective" on US foreign policy at a "crucial moment," Freeman said.
Kissinger became a naturalized US citizen and served in the US Army as a German interpreter during the Second World War. Following his military service, Kissinger attended Harvard University, where he earned a bachelor's degree in 1950 and a doctorate in 1954.
Kissinger went on to join the faculty at Harvard, where he served as Associate Director of the Department of Government and Center for International Affairs starting in 1957.
Kissinger served as a consultant to several US government agencies throughout the 1950s and 1960s, including the State Department, the National Security Council's Operations Coordinating board and the Arms Control and Disarmament Agency.
In 1968, then-US President-elect Richard Nixon tapped Kissinger as National Security Adviser. Kissinger served in the role from January 1969 to November 1975. Nixon later nominated Kissinger to serve as US Secretary of State, a position he held from September 1973 to January 1977. Kissinger's dual appointment as a National Security Adviser and Secretary of State was unprecedented.
Notable contributions of Kissinger as Secretary of State include supporting Israel during the 1973 Arab-Israeli War, so-called shuttle diplomacy missions throughout the middle East, establishing relations with the People's Republic of China and pursuing a policy of detente with the Soviet Union.
"(Kissinger's) unrivaled expertise in the nineteenth century European balance of power inspired his outreach to China which, in turn, enabled detente with the Soviet Union and helped to prevent US-Soviet antagonism from exploding to war," Freeman said.
In 1973, Kissinger won the Nobel Peace Prize alongside Vietnamese diplomat Le Duc Tho for jointly negotiating ceasefires contained in the Paris Peace Accords, which led to the end of US involvement in the Vietnam War. Kissinger attempted to return the prize after North Vietnam took control of the country during the 1975 spring offensive.
Kissinger was also awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom - the US' highest civilian honor - in 1977.
Following his departure from government service in 1977, Kissinger worked at Georgetown University's Center for Strategic and International Studies. In 1982, Kissinger founded geopolitical consulting firm Kissinger Associates, which continues operations to this day.
Kissinger's approach to international relations has been characterized in the "Realpolitik" school of thinking; however, Kissinger has distanced himself from the label, instead advocating a more nuanced approach to geopolitics.
"The distinction between idealism and realism rejects the experience of history. Idealists do not have a monopoly on moral values; realists must recognize that ideals are also part of reality. We will be less frequently disillusioned if we emphasize a foreign policy designed to accumulate nuance rather than triumph through apocalyptic showdowns, and our values will benefit over the longer term," Kissinger said in a 2012 speech.
A 2015 survey of top international relations scholars, conducted by Foreign Policy, found that Kissinger was ranked the "most effective" US Secretary of State in the past 50 years.
However, Kissinger has also been the subject of extensive criticism for his work in the US government, including allegations of war crimes in Vietnam, Cambodia, Chile and elsewhere. Notably, Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative journalist Seymour Hersh authored a book titled "The price of Power," in which he detailed Kissinger's influence in the Nixon administration and the impacts of his actions.
"Despite his signal contributions to the successful management of great power rivalry, Kissinger remains anathema to American ideologues who condemn him for his and Nixon's failure to bring the Vietnam War they inherited from their predecessors to an instant halt as well as for regime change in Chile and an aloof posture toward West Pakistani brutality in East Pakistan (Bangladesh)," Freeman said.
In contrast, China continues to "revere" Kissinger for his role in bringing them out of global isolation and for his geopolitical wisdom and statesmanship, Freeman added.
Kissinger remains a prominent political commentator despite his age, making a number of statements and speeches regarding contemporary geopolitical issues, such as the conflict in Ukraine.
Kissinger, in sticking with his nuanced approach to international relations, has expressed a desire to see peace negotiations and for Ukraine to become a "neutral" state capable of bridging Russia and Europe. Kissinger was added to Ukraine's Myrotvorets blacklist for urging Ukraine to negotiate with Russia.
Kissinger has previously stated that he did not consider the US' push for Ukraine to join NATO as wise, but more recently said that Ukrainian membership has become "appropriate" as Russia's special military operation continues.
"Kissinger had a great chance to celebrate his 100th birthday as a real peacemaker, thus justifying his very controversial 1973 Nobel Peace Prize," American University in Moscow President Edward Lozansky told Sputnik. "Instead his last ideas of bringing Ukraine into NATO have effectively diminished if not annulled his authority as a geostrategic thinker."
In December 2022, Kissinger released an article advocating for a peace process for Ukraine, which would "confirm the freedom of Ukraine" and "define a new international structure" for Central and Eastern Europe. Russia should be able to "find a place" in such an order, Kissinger said.
In response, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russia would study Kissinger's proposal with "great interest."
Kissinger has also said the US is teetering on the "edge of war" with both Russia and China due to challenges Washington is partially responsible for creating.
"Having access to all US presidents and Vladimir Putin, (Kissinger) could play an important role in shaping both innovative US foreign policy and pragmatic US-Russia relations," Lozansky said.
Kissinger has authored a number of books on geopolitics and international relations, most recently publishing "Leadership: Six Studies in World Strategy," which examines the lives of six historical leaders, including Charles de Gaulle, Anwar Sadat, Margaret Thatcher, and Richard Nixon.
At 100 years old, Kissinger is the last surviving member of the Nixon administration.
