Henry Kissinger, the German-born American politician, has died. He was 100 years old.
Kissinger was born in 1923 and was a refugee from the Nazis, arriving in the US in 1938. He served in the US army in World War II, seeing combat and working as an intelligence officer.
He went on to excel academically and was awarded advanced degrees by Harvard University in the 1950s. He was appointed as Richard Nixon’s National Security Advisor in 1969 and went on to have an influential role over American foreign policy in the 1970s. He was seen as a key figure in the thawing of relations between the United States and China.
He was also supportive of right-wing military dictatorships in Latin America, as a bulwark against the influence of left-wing movements.
His influence began to wane after Nixon was forced to resign in the wake of the Watergate scandal. He went on to teach at Georgetown University and served on the boards of various companies as well as founding a consulting company.
He was married twice and had two children with his first wife.
Kissinger died peacefully at his home in Connecticut, according to a statement.
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