Henry Kissinger facts for kids

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Quick facts for kids Henry Kissinger
Official portrait, c. 1973

56th United States Secretary of State
In office September 22, 1973 – January 20, 1977
President	Richard Nixon Gerald Ford
Deputy	Kenneth Rush Robert Ingersoll Charles Robinson
Preceded by	William Rogers
Succeeded by	Cyrus Vance
7th United States National Security Advisor
In office January 20, 1969 – November 3, 1975
President	Richard Nixon Gerald Ford
Deputy	Richard Allen Alexander Haig Brent Scowcroft
Preceded by	Walt Rostow
Succeeded by	Brent Scowcroft
22nd Chancellor of the College of William & Mary
In office July 1, 2000 – October 1, 2005
President	Timothy J. Sullivan Gene Nichol
Preceded by	Margaret Thatcher
Succeeded by	Sandra Day O'Connor
Chair of the 9/11 Commission
In office November 27, 2002 – December 14, 2002
President	George W. Bush
Deputy	George J. Mitchell Lee H. Hamilton
Preceded by	Position established
Succeeded by	Thomas Kean

Personal details
Born	Heinz Alfred Kissinger (1923-05-27)May 27, 1923 Fürth, Weimar Republic (now Germany)
Died	November 29, 2023(2023-11-29) (aged 100) Connecticut, U.S.
Citizenship	Germany (until 1935) United States (since 1943)
Political party	Republican
Spouses	Ann Fleischer (m. 1949; div. 1964) Nancy Maginnes (m. 1974)
Children	2
Education	City College of New York Harvard University (AB, AM, PhD)
Occupation	Diplomat politician political scientist
Civilian awards	Nobel Peace Prize (1973)
Signature
Military service
Branch/service	United States Army
Years of service	1943–1946
Rank	Sergeant
Unit	84th Infantry Division 970th Counter Intelligence Corps Detachment
Battles/wars	World War II Battle of the Bulge
Military awards	Bronze Star

Henry Alfred Kissinger (pronounced KISS-in-jer) was a famous American diplomat and politician. He was born Heinz Alfred Kissinger in Germany on May 27, 1923, and passed away on November 29, 2023. He served as the Secretary of State and National Security Advisor for Presidents Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford.

Kissinger was awarded the 1973 Nobel Peace Prize. This was for his important work in helping to arrange a ceasefire in the Vietnam War. He is remembered for his smart and sometimes controversial approach to foreign policy.

Early Life and Education

Growing Up in Germany

Henry Kissinger was born in Fürth, Germany, on May 27, 1923. His family was German-Jewish. His father, Louis Kissinger, was a schoolteacher. Henry also had a younger brother named Walter.

When Henry was nine, Adolf Hitler became Chancellor of Germany in 1933. This was a big change for his family. During the time of Nazi rule, Henry and his friends faced harassment. They were sometimes beaten by groups like the Hitler Youth. Henry would sometimes sneak into soccer stadiums to watch games. This was against the rules for Jewish people.

Because of the Nazis' anti-Jewish laws, Henry could not go to a good school. His father also lost his teaching job.

Moving to America

To escape the Nazis, Henry and his family left Germany on August 20, 1938. Henry was 15 years old. They briefly stopped in London before arriving in New York City on September 5.

Henry quickly learned American ways. However, he kept his German accent. This was partly because he was shy as a child. After his first year of high school, he started going to school at night. During the day, he worked in a factory.

After high school, Henry studied accounting at the City College of New York. He was a very good student. In 1943, his studies were paused when he joined the U.S. Army.

Serving in the U.S. Army

Military Training and Citizenship

Henry Kissinger began his basic training in South Carolina. On June 19, 1943, when he was 20, he became a naturalized American citizen. The army first sent him to study engineering. But this program was canceled.

He was then sent to the 84th Infantry Division. Here, he met Fritz Kraemer, another German immigrant. Kraemer noticed Henry's intelligence and his ability to speak German. He arranged for Henry to join the military intelligence section.

World War II Service

Henry saw combat during World War II. He volunteered for dangerous intelligence tasks during the Battle of the Bulge. As American forces moved into Germany, Henry was put in charge of the city of Krefeld. This was because few soldiers spoke German. Even though he was a private, he quickly set up a civilian government.

Later, Henry joined the Counter Intelligence Corps (CIC). He became a special agent. He led a team in Hanover that looked for Gestapo officers. For this work, he received the Bronze Star. In 1945, he was put in charge of cleaning up Nazi influences in the Bensheim district.

In 1946, Henry taught at an intelligence school. He continued this role as a civilian after leaving the army. He later said his time in the army made him "feel like an American."

Academic Career and Early Influence

Portrait of Kissinger as a Harvard senior in 1950

Studying at Harvard

After his military service, Henry Kissinger went to Harvard College. He graduated in 1950. He then earned his Master's and Ph.D. degrees from Harvard in 1951 and 1954.

He stayed at Harvard as a professor. He directed the Harvard International Seminar for many years. He also worked as a consultant for the National Security Council.

Writing and Research

In 1957, he published his book Nuclear Weapons and Foreign Policy. From 1956 to 1958, he worked for the Rockefeller Brothers Fund. He also helped start the Weatherhead Center for International Affairs at Harvard.

Henry Kissinger also advised several government groups. These included the Department of State and the RAND Corporation.

Key Role in Foreign Policy

Kissinger being sworn in as Secretary of State by Chief Justice Warren Burger, September 22, 1973. Kissinger's mother, Paula, holds the Bible as President Nixon looks on.

Advisor to Presidents

Henry Kissinger first advised Nelson Rockefeller's presidential campaigns. In January 1969, when Richard Nixon became president, Kissinger was appointed National Security Advisor. He later became Secretary of State. He continued in this role under President Gerald Ford.

Kissinger and President Nixon worked very closely together. Their relationship was very strong.

Shaping U.S. Diplomacy

Kissinger was a key figure in American foreign policy from 1969 to 1977. He helped create a policy called "détente" with the Soviet Union. This policy aimed to reduce tensions between the U.S. and the Soviet Union.

He also made secret trips to China. These trips prepared the way for President Nixon's historic visit to China in 1972. This visit helped create a new relationship between China and the United States. It led to more trade and cultural exchanges.

Colin Powell, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Secretary of State John Kerry, and Kissinger in March 2016

Nobel Peace Prize

On December 10, 1973, Kissinger was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. He shared it with Lê Đức Thọ from Vietnam. They received the award for their efforts to negotiate a ceasefire and the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Vietnam.

Lê Đức Thọ did not accept the award. He felt that true peace had not yet come to South Vietnam. Kissinger accepted the award and gave the money to children of American service members who were killed or missing in action.

Later Years and Legacy

After leaving government, Henry Kissinger started his own company, Kissinger Associates. It was a consulting firm focused on international relations. He also wrote many books about diplomacy and world affairs.

A 2015 survey ranked Kissinger as one of the most effective U.S. Secretaries of State in the past 50 years. He passed away on November 29, 2023, at the age of 100.

Family and Personal Life

Henry and Nancy Kissinger at the Metropolitan Opera opening in 2008

Nancy and Henry Kissinger in their New York apartment with their dog Tyler, 1978

Henry Kissinger married Ann Fleischer in 1949. They had two children, Elizabeth and David. They divorced in 1964. In 1974, he married Nancy Maginnes. They lived in Connecticut and New York City.

His son, David Kissinger, became an executive in the entertainment industry. In 1982, Henry Kissinger had heart surgery. On May 27, 2023, he celebrated his 100th birthday.

Love for Soccer

Henry Kissinger was a big fan of soccer. He especially loved his hometown team, SpVgg Greuther Fürth. Even when he was a high-ranking official, the German Embassy would tell him his team's scores every Monday.

He was also named chairman of the North American Soccer League board in 1978. Many people say he helped soccer grow in the United States.

Interesting Facts About Henry Kissinger

Kissinger described the game Diplomacy as his favorite in a 1973 interview.
His college thesis was over 400 pages long. This led to a rule at Harvard limiting the length of theses.

Awards and Honors

In 1973, he received the U.S. Senator John Heinz Award for Public Service.
In 1976, he became the first honorary member of the Harlem Globetrotters.

Kissinger at the LBJ Library in 2016

On January 13, 1977, President Gerald Ford gave him the Presidential Medal of Freedom. This is one of the highest civilian awards in the U.S.
In 1980, he won the National Book Award for his book The White House Years.
In 1986, he received the Medal of Liberty.
In 2002, he became an honorary member of the International Olympic Committee.
In 2012, he was awarded Israel's President's Medal.
He was a member of many important groups, like the Council on Foreign Relations.

Notable Works

Memoirs

1979. The White House Years.
1982. Years of Upheaval.
1999. Years of Renewal.

Books on Public Policy

1957. Nuclear Weapons and Foreign Policy.
1994. Diplomacy.
2011. On China.
2014. World Order.

Other Books

2022. Leadership: Six Studies in World Strategy.

Images for kids

Kissinger, shown here with Zhou Enlai and Mao Zedong, negotiated rapprochement with China.
Kissinger and President Richard Nixon discussing the Vietnam situation in Camp David, 1972 (with Alexander Haig)
President Ford, General Secretary Leonid Brezhnev, and Kissinger speaking informally at the Vladivostok Summit in 1974
Kissinger in the West Wing as National Security Adviser
Kissinger sits in the Oval Office with President Nixon and Israeli Prime Minister Golda Meir, 1973.
On October 31, 1973, Egyptian Foreign Minister Ismail Fahmi (left) meets with Richard Nixon (middle) and Henry Kissinger (right), about a week after the end of fighting in the Yom Kippur War.
Kissinger and King Faisal of Saudi Arabia in Riyadh on March 19, 1975. In the far background behind Faisal is his half-brother, the future King Fahd.
Ford and Kissinger conversing on the White House grounds, August 1974
Chilean President Augusto Pinochet shaking hands with Kissinger in 1976
Suharto with Gerald Ford and Kissinger in Jakarta on December 6, 1975, one day before the Indonesian invasion of East Timor
Kissinger meeting with President Ronald Reagan in the White House family quarters, 1981
Kissinger and U.S. Vice President Joe Biden at the Munich Security Conference in February 2009
Kissinger with German Chancellor Angela Merkel on June 21, 2017
President Donald Trump meeting with Kissinger on May 10, 2017
President Barack Obama discussing the New START Treaty between the U.S. and Russia, 2010
Kissinger speaking during Gerald Ford's funeral in January 2007
Angela Merkel and Kissinger were at the state funeral for former German Chancellor Helmut Schmidt, November 23, 2015.
Henry Kissinger on April 26, 2016