Money Control Place
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Stocks
  • Investing
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Stocks
  • Investing

Money Control Place

Politics

Five things to know about Henry Kissinger, a dominant figure in global affairs in the 1970s

by November 30, 2023
November 30, 2023
Five things to know about Henry Kissinger, a dominant figure in global affairs in the 1970s

Former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, who died Wednesday at age 100, exerted far-reaching influence on global affairs under Presidents Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford between 1969 and 1977, earning both vilification and the Nobel Peace Prize.

Here are five things to know about his life in government and beyond:

HIS PORTFOLIO

For eight restless years — first as national security adviser, later as secretary of state, and for a time as both — Kissinger played a dominant role in foreign policy. 

He conducted the first ‘shuttle diplomacy’ in the quest for Middle East peace. He used secret negotiations to restore ties between the United States and China. He initiated the Paris talks that ultimately provided a face-saving means to get the United States out of war in Vietnam. And he pursued detente with the Soviet Union that led to arms-control agreements.

HIS BOSS

Kissinger’s power grew during the turmoil of the Watergate scandal, when the politically attuned diplomat took on a role akin to co-president to the weakened Nixon. ‘No doubt my vanity was piqued,’ Kissinger later wrote of his expanding influence during Watergate. ‘But the dominant emotion was a premonition of catastrophe.’ 

Kissinger told colleagues at the White House that he was the one person who kept Nixon, ‘that drunken lunatic,’ from doing things that would ‘blow up the world,’ according to Walter Isaacson, who wrote the 1992 biography ‘Kissinger.’

HIS CACHET

Pudgy and messy, Kissinger acquired a reputation as a ladies’ man in the staid Nixon administration. Kissinger called women ‘a diversion, a hobby.’ Isaacson wrote that Hollywood executives were eager to set him up with starlets, whom Kissinger squired to premieres and showy restaurants. His companions included Jill St. John, Shirley MacLaine, Marlo Thomas, Candice Bergen and Liv Ullmann. 

In a poll of Playboy Club Bunnies in 1972, the man dubbed ‘Super-K’ by Newsweek finished first as ‘the man I would most like to go out on a date with.’ Kissinger’s explanation: ‘Power is the ultimate aphrodisiac.’

HIS CRITICS

Kissinger for decades battled the notion that he and Nixon had settled in 1972 for peace terms in Vietnam that had been available in 1969 and thus had needlessly prolonged the war at the cost of tens of thousands of American lives. 

He was castigated for authorizing telephone wiretaps of reporters and his own National Security Council staff to plug news leaks in Nixon’s White House. He was denounced on college campuses for the bombing and allied invasion of Cambodia in April 1970, intended to destroy North Vietnamese supply lines to communist forces in South Vietnam. 

That ‘incursion,’ as Nixon and Kissinger called it, was blamed by some for contributing to Cambodia’s fall into the hands of Khmer Rouge insurgents.

HIS LATER YEARS

Kissinger cultivated the reputation of respected elder statesman, giving speeches, offering advice to Republican and Democratic presidents alike and managing a lucrative global consulting business as he traveled the world. 

But records from the Nixon era, released over the years, brought with them revelations that sometimes cast him in a harsh light. Kissinger was dogged by critics at home and abroad who argued that he should be called to account for his policies on Southeast Asia and support of repressive regimes in Latin America. 

He had to think twice before traveling to certain countries to be sure that he would not be summoned by judges seeking to question him about Nixon-era actions.

This post appeared first on FOX NEWS
0
FacebookTwitterGoogle +Pinterest
previous post
Bitcoin: A Brief Price History of the First Cryptocurrency
next post
Top Ivy League school hosts Chinese official who has repeatedly praised CCP: ‘Fruitful discussions’

Related Posts

Trump dominating, Haley winning her first state round...

March 6, 2024

Role abortion rights played on Election Day: Underestimated...

November 21, 2023

Israeli president says no plans to expel Palestinians...

January 8, 2024

Senate to grapple with AI’s effect on US...

September 7, 2023

House GOP leaders eye Democrats for help on...

January 27, 2024

Trump jabs at Hunter Biden skipping congressional deposition:...

December 14, 2023

Israeli TV footage appears to show Gaza hospital...

October 19, 2023

Qatar brokers deal between Egypt, Hamas and Israel...

November 1, 2023

RFK Jr re-ups Trump debate challenge, suggesting venue...

May 9, 2024

Trump Super PAC to join TikTok with @MAGA...

May 9, 2024

    Get free access to all of the retirement secrets and income strategies from our experts! or Join The Exclusive Subscription Today And Get the Premium Articles Acess for Free


    By opting in you agree to receive emails from us and our affiliates. Your information is secure and your privacy is protected.

    Latest

    • Breakouts, Momentum & Moving Averages: 10 Must-See Stock Charts Right Now

    • Week Ahead: NIFTY Stays In A Defined Range; Moving Past This Level Crucial For Resumption Of Upmove

    • Editor’s Picks: Gold Faces Bumpy Week on Trade Tensions, Platinum Stages Breakout

    • Run Your Stock Portfolio Like a Pro Sports Team

    • Leadership Rotation Could Confirm Corrective Phase

    • Breakouts, Momentum & Moving Averages: 10 Must-See Stock Charts Right Now

    Categories

    • Business (1,223)
    • Investing (2,504)
    • Politics (3,699)
    • Stocks (1,616)
    • Uncategorized (20)
    • About us
    • Contact us
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms & Conditions

    Disclaimer: MoneyControlPlace.com, its managers, its employees, and assigns (collectively “The Company”) do not make any guarantee or warranty about what is advertised above. Information provided by this website is for research purposes only and should not be considered as personalized financial advice. The Company is not affiliated with, nor does it receive compensation from, any specific security. The Company is not registered or licensed by any governing body in any jurisdiction to give investing advice or provide investment recommendation. Any investments recommended here should be taken into consideration only after consulting with your investment advisor and after reviewing the prospectus or financial statements of the company.

    Copyright © 2025 moneycontrolplace.com | All Rights Reserved