Former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger has died at the age of 100, according to his consulting firm.
Kissinger, the German-born American diplomat, academic, and presidential adviser under two administrations, died last week at his home in Connecticut.
Henry Kissinger was a towering world figure, a strategic thinker and easily one of the most influential Secretaries of State in American history. He never stopped learning, never stopped thinking and never stopped looking for answers to the world’s hard problems. pic.twitter.com/6WxClVkDFt
— Condoleezza Rice (@CondoleezzaRice) November 30, 2023
“Dr. Henry Kissinger, a respected American scholar and statesman, died today at his home in Connecticut,” his firm, Kissinger Associates, said in a statement. “Dr. Kissinger is survived by his wife of nearly 50 years, Nancy Maginnes Kissinger, two children by his first marriage, David and Elizabeth, and five grandchildren.”
Supporters praised Kissinger as a superb strategist, while critics denounced him as a master manipulator. He pioneered the policy of détente with the Soviet Union, began a rapprochement with China, and won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1973 for negotiating the Paris Peace Accords, which put an end to America’s involvement in Vietnam.
“In 1969, President Nixon appointed him National Security Advisor. He subsequently served as Secretary of State under Presidents Nixon and Ford, in which capacities Dr. Kissinger played central roles in the opening to China, negotiating the end of the Yom Kippur War in the Middle East, and helping to bring America’s role in the Vietnam War to a close. He worked to set the former Rhodesia on the path to representative government and negotiated key arms control agreements with the Soviet Union,” the statement continued.
The controversial nature of certain of his policies prompted journalist Seymour Hersh to declare in 2002 that “the dark side of Henry Kissinger is very, very dark.”
Even after retiring from public life, he continued to have a significant impact on the world, as seen by his July encounter in Beijing with Chinese President Xi Jinping. The Chinese leader received the former U.S. envoy with deep respect, who had celebrated his 100th birthday less than two months earlier.
Kissinger will be interred at a private family service, and a memorial service will occur at a later date in New York City.
“In lieu of flowers, the family suggests considering donations to: Animal Medical Center, Development Office, 510 East 62nd Street, New York, NY 10065 or Henry A. Kissinger Center for Global Affairs, School of Advanced International Studies, Johns Hopkins University, 555 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20001,” Kissinger Associates said.
