Henry Kissinger: Ending the Vietnam War (Modern Peacemakers)

As national security advisor and secretary of state under President Richard Nixon, and secretary of state for Gerald Ford, Kissinger played a pivotal role in American foreign policy. This work provides coverage of the life and work of one of the 20th century's greatest diplomats with selected writings, related sidebars, and balanced commentary. A German immigrant who became a key member of the Nixon and Ford administrations, Henry Kissinger served as assistant to the president for National Security Affairs from 1969 to 1975, and as secretary of state from 1973 to 1977. Kissinger played a critical role in easing tensions in American relations with the Soviet Union, and in opening up trade and diplomatic relations with China. He perfected the skill of "shuttle diplomacy" for negotiations in the Middle East, traveling back and forth between countries to speed the process of conflict mediation. But it was for his negotiations with North Vietnamese leader Le Due Tho that Kissinger was awarded the 1973 Nobel Peace Prize. Because the negotiations had failed to achieve conclusive peace in Vietnam at the time the award was presented, Kissinger continues to be one of the most controversial Nobel laureates. Henry Alfred Kissinger was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1973 for his part in negotiating a cease-fire between North and South Vietnam and the subsequent U.S Surveys the life of Henry Kissinger and discusses how as National Security Advisor and Secretary of State he influenced American foreign policy.