Introduction
Henry Kissinger is one of the most influential and controversial figures in American foreign policy. He served as the national security advisor and the secretary of state under the administrations of Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford, and played a key role in shaping the U.S. relations with the Soviet Union, China, Vietnam, and the Middle East. He is also the recipient of the 1973 Nobel Peace Prize, which he shared with his North Vietnamese counterpart Le Duc Tho, for negotiating the Paris peace accords that ended the U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War. However, Kissinger’s legacy is also marred by accusations of war crimes, human rights violations, and covert operations that destabilized many countries and regions around the world. So, was Kissinger a war-mongering diplomat or a Nobel peace prize winner?
The Achievements of Henry Kissinger
Henry Kissinger is widely regarded as a master of realpolitik, a pragmatic and strategic approach to foreign policy that prioritizes national interests and power over ideology and morality. He is credited with achieving several diplomatic breakthroughs and successes, such as:
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Henry Kissinger
- Détente with the Soviet Union: Henry Kissinger initiated a policy of détente, or relaxation of tensions, with the Soviet Union, the main rival of the U.S. during the Cold War. He negotiated several arms control agreements, such as the Strategic Arms Limitation Talks (SALT) and the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty (ABM), that reduced the risk of nuclear war. He also established a direct hotline between the White House and the Kremlin, and promoted cooperation on various issues, such as the Middle East, Africa, and space exploration.
- Opening to China: Henry Kissinger orchestrated a historic opening of relations with the People’s Republic of China, which had been isolated and hostile to the U.S. since the Communist revolution in 1949. He secretly visited Beijing in 1971 and met with Chairman Mao Zedong and Premier Zhou Enlai, paving the way for Nixon’s official visit in 1972. He established diplomatic contacts and trade relations with China, and recognized it as the sole legitimate government of China, instead of Taiwan. He also exploited the Sino-Soviet split, and used China as a counterweight to the Soviet Union in the global balance of power.
- Shuttle diplomacy in the Middle East: Henry Kissinger engaged in what became known as shuttle diplomacy, or frequent and intensive travels between countries, in the Middle East to end the Yom Kippur War of 1973, and to secure peace agreements between Israel and its Arab neighbors. He brokered the disengagement of forces agreements between Israel and Egypt, and Israel and Syria, in 1974 and 1975, respectively. He also persuaded Israel to withdraw from the Sinai Peninsula, and facilitated the first visit of an Egyptian president, Anwar Sadat, to Jerusalem in 1977.
- Paris peace accords: Kissinger and his North Vietnamese counterpart, Le Duc Tho, jointly negotiated a ceasefire agreement to end the U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War, which had lasted for more than a decade and claimed millions of lives. The agreement, known as the Paris peace accords, was signed in January 1973, and stipulated the withdrawal of U.S. troops, the release of prisoners of war, and the establishment of a National Council of Reconciliation and Concord to oversee the political future of Vietnam.
The Criticisms of Kissinger
Kissinger is also widely criticized and condemned for his involvement and responsibility in several wars, coups, and atrocities, such as:
Henry Kissinger
- Bombing of Cambodia: Kissinger authorized and oversaw the secret and massive bombing of Cambodia, a neutral country, from 1969 to 1973, in an attempt to destroy the supply routes and bases of the Viet Cong and the North Vietnamese army. The bombing killed hundreds of thousands of civilians, displaced millions of people, and contributed to the rise of the genocidal Khmer Rouge regime, which killed about 2 million people from 1975 to 1979.
- Coup in Chile: Kissinger supported and facilitated the coup that overthrew the democratically elected socialist president of Chile, Salvador Allende, in 1973, and installed the brutal military dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet, who ruled the country until 1990. The coup was motivated by the U.S. fear of communism and the protection of its economic interests in Chile. The coup resulted in the death, torture, and disappearance of thousands of people, and the violation of human rights and democracy.
- Operation Condor: Kissinger endorsed and assisted Operation Condor, a covert campaign of political repression and state terror carried out by the right-wing military regimes of South America, with the support of the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), from the 1970s to the 1980s. The operation targeted and eliminated the opponents of the regimes, such as leftists, activists, journalists, and dissidents, both within and outside their countries. The operation killed and disappeared tens of thousands of people, and violated the sovereignty and human rights of several nations.
- East Timor invasion: Kissinger approved and backed the invasion of East Timor by Indonesia, a U.S. ally, in 1975, and blocked the United Nations’ efforts to intervene and stop the violence. The invasion was motivated by Indonesia’s desire to annex the former Portuguese colony, which had declared its independence, and by the U.S. interest in maintaining good relations with Indonesia, a strategic partner in Southeast Asia. The invasion and occupation of East Timor lasted until 1999, and caused the death of about 200,000 people, or a third of the population, due to massacres, starvation, and disease.
Henry Kissinger
Conclusion
Henry Kissinger is a polarizing figure in American and world history, who has been praised and awarded for his achievements, and denounced and sued for his crimes. He is regarded as either a war-mongering diplomat or a Nobel peace prize winner, depending on one’s perspective and values. His legacy and impact are still relevant and debated today, as he continues to be an influential voice and adviser on foreign policy issues
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