Born in Fürth, Germany
Henry Kissinger shaped U.S. foreign policy for more than fifty years. To escape persecution of Jewish people in Germany, he immigrated to the United States in 1938. After serving in the U.S. Army (1943–46), Kissinger studied and taught at Harvard University.
In 1969, he joined the Nixon administration, eventually becoming secretary of state (1973–77). Kissinger popularized policy ideas including realpolitik, his realistic approach to world events, and détente, the relaxation of tensions he pursued with the Soviet Union. In 1973, he jointly won the Nobel Peace Prize with North Vietnamese diplomat Le Duc Tho for his role in securing a ceasefire in the Vietnam War with. Tho refused to accept the award, arguing that the U.S. had broken its agreement.
After office, Kissinger continued to advise presidents through Donald Trump. However, his record on human rights issues, including his support for the removal of the democratically elected president of Chile and the secret bombings of Cambodia, remain divisive.
