Henry Kissinger: A Controversial Legacy

The former U.S. Secretary of State, who died at 100, leaves behind a complex and disputed record of diplomacy and policy.

Henry Kissinger, former U.S. national security adviser and secretary of state, died on Nov. 29 at the age of 100, leaving behind a controversial and influential legacy in American foreign policy.
Kissinger served under Presidents Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford in the 1970s, and was instrumental in the withdrawal from Vietnam, the opening to China, and détente with the Soviet Union.
Despite his achievements, Kissinger's tenure was marked by setbacks and criticism, with detractors labeling him a war criminal and critics pointing to his failures in policy and diplomacy.
His influence waned towards the end of his tenure, with many of his ambitious schemes unrealized or rejected, and his policies increasingly challenged by Congress and within the Ford administration.
Post-tenure, Kissinger's advice to successors was often ignored or proved incorrect, notably his warnings about Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev exploiting President Reagan's antinuclear sentiments.