Henry Kissinger in 1982. Born in Germany, the US diplomat served as secretary of state under both Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford
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EXPERTS DEBATE HISTORY’S BIGGEST ISSUES
Henry Kissinger came to the US while still in his teens, as a Jewish refugee fleeing Nazi persecution. What impact did that have on his later worldview?
It had a big impact. Kissinger was born Heinz Kissinger, and changed his name when he got to the US. I think the disorder that shaped his childhood – the feeling that life was always unpredictable – was a major force in his decisions later in his career.
One of Kissinger’s key relationships was with Richard Nixon. How did the men meet, and how did they view each other?
Kissinger had worked for other US administrations in the 1960s, including that of John F Kennedy. He then got to know some of the team working on Nixon’s election campaign: by this point, the former vice president was out of office and seeking to run again in 1968.
We know that Kissinger gave the Nixon team clandestine advice on the Vietnam War. Because the information was obtained from contacts in the Democratic administration, this possibly meant he was breaking some of the protocols he should have been observing. It impressed Nixon, however, and when he gained power in 1969 he appointed Kissinger as national security advisor.