Henry Kissinger, who died on November 29, 2023, at the age of 100, was “one of the most prominent and controversial figures” in 20th-century US foreign policy, says Martin Pengelly in The Guardian. He served as president Richard Nixon’s secretary of state and Gerald Ford’s national security adviser and “remained influential” after his time in office thanks in part to his geopolitical consultancy and his authorship of books on international affairs.
He advised a dozen presidents and won a shared Nobel prize for negotiating the end of the Vietnam War. The obituaries examining his legacy were as divided as he was divisive in life. Some praised him as “a statesman, a master diplomat, an exponent of power politics deployed to the benefit of America”. For many others, he was a war criminal with a “contempt for human rights”.
Kissinger’s advice led to many foreign policy mistakes, not least the “ferocious US bombing of neutral Cambodia” during the Vietnam War, which was the context for the rise of the “barbaric” Khmer Rouge, says The Times. He also played a role in encouraging Pinochet’s overthrow of Allende in Chile, abandoning the Iraqi Kurds to Saddam Hussein and condoning violent repressions by US allies such as Pakistan and Indonesia.
Subscribe to MoneyWeek
Subscribe to MoneyWeek today and get your first six magazine issues absolutely FREE
Sign up to Money Morning
Don't miss the latest investment and personal finances news, market analysis, plus money-saving tips with our free twice-daily newsletter
Don't miss the latest investment and personal finances news, market analysis, plus money-saving tips with our free twice-daily newsletter
But there was often a broader geopolitical strategy at play and without Kissinger there would have been “no Nixon visit to China, no breakthrough in detente with Soviet Russia, and no peace treaty between Egypt and Israel”. Through his “hard-nosed negotiations and manipulative control of the US foreign-policy machine”, it's arguable that the Western world was made “a better and safer place for several subsequent decades”.
In short, Kissinger’s “prodigious mind” was often behind the events that helped cement and protect America’s position as the global superpower in the 20th century – exemplified by the fact that he arranged Nixon’s visit to China, “which wrong-footed the Soviet Union and helped China gradually to move towards economic liberalisation”, says Charles Moore in The Telegraph. His advice, both in and out of office, provided an antidote to the tendency of Western politicians to be “swayed by the… public mood”, even as it underplayed “people’s wishes for a better and freer life” and conceded “too much to hostile nations (such as China and Russia) whose power he overrated”.
Indeed, China and Russia’s rulers seem to have been more keen to celebrate Kissinger’s legacy than many in the US, says James Politi in the Financial Times. US president Joe Biden praised Kissinger’s “fierce intellect and profound strategic focus”, but his statement was “brief and hardly laden with praise”. In contrast, Russia’s Vladimir Putin called him a “wise and far-sighted statesman”; and Beijing heaped “unstinting” praise on the late diplomat, who Xi Jinping called an “old friend” of China. Indeed, the influence of Kissinger’s ideas has been “waning” in the US for quite some time, says The New York Times. As Chinese policy turns more aggressive, the Kissingerian policy of “engagement” has been replaced with one of “wariness”. Kissinger’s death marks the “end of an era” in US-Sino relations.
This article was first published in MoneyWeek's magazine. Enjoy exclusive early access to news, opinion and analysis from our team of financial experts with a MoneyWeek subscription.
Related articles
-
5 steps to shield your money from the taxman before the BudgetExperts have warned Labour is planning a tax raid in its upcoming Budget. We share five steps to shield your money from the taxman
-
The trading apps that let you put fractional shares in an ISAAdvice HMRC is set to change ISA rules to allow fractional shares to be included in the tax wrapper. Here are the trading platforms and trading apps that support this.
-
Who is John Donahoe, the man who made Nike uncool?Nike’s 48-year success story has been put into question by John Donahoe, its outgoing CEO who knew nothing about Nike or its culture. What mistakes did he make?
-
How to improve economic output using the supply-side approachBoosting potential economic output through public investment is crucial, says David C. Stevenson
-
Anders Holch Povlsen: the Danish tycoon reshaping BritainAnders Holch Povlsen has snapped up land in the Highlands, returning it to a wilderness, and plans to transform a historic department store in Edinburgh. Can he also revive Topshop?
-
Buffett’s "insurance guru" Ajit Jain sells upWarren Buffett has long sung the praises of Ajit Jain, who he once tipped to take over in the top job. Now he is selling a big chunk of his stake in Buffett’s firm. Why?
-
Mexico passes controversial judicial reform – will it hurt investors?What will Mexico's new reform mean for investors and the country's economy?
-
Bill Ackman: the hedge fund manager rooting for TrumpBill Ackman made his name as an activist investor and corporate raider. Now he’s discovering his political voice on X and is backing Donald Trump for president.
-
Paetongtarn Shinawatra becomes Thailand's youngest-ever PM – will she succeed?Paetongtarn Shinawatra is joining the family business: both her father and aunt have governed the country. She has promised to “end a cycle of coups”. Can she?
-
Indonesia’s new $30 billion capital city is hit by 'delays'What is causing the delays in Indonesia’s new capital city and when will it be complete?
