World Order: Reflections on the Character of Nations and the Course of History

Henry Kissinger (born 1923) is a renowned American political scientist and statesman. Kissinger was an advisor on the matters of national security (1969-1975) and, subsequently a Secretary of State (1973-1977) during the Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford administrations. Kissinger made major diplomatic contributions on key foreign-policy issues with China, Vietnam, the Soviet Union, as well as the Middle East. During his involvement in the Vietnam War, both Le Duc Tho of North Vietnam and Kissinger were awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for negotiating a settlement in that war.

Kissinger was born in Germany to Jewish-German parents. In 1938, his family was forced to flee Europe to escape the Nazis. As a result, they settled in the United States. The young Kissinger served in the US Army during World War II. He also participated in the US military government of Germany after that war.

Kissinger received his Ph.D. (1954) from Harvard University where he eventually became the director of Defense Studies. His text Nuclear Weapons and Foreign Policy (1957) was influential at that time. As a result, Kissinger worked as a consultant for the Eisenhower, Kennedy, and Johnson administrations prior to his appointment as assistant for national security affairs by Nixon.