Home > Vietnam War > Henry A. Kissinger Biography

Born May 27, 1923
Furth, Germany

U.S. national security advisor, 1969–75,
and secretary of state, 1973–77

Henry Kissinger was a major force behind American foreign policy for more than a decade. As U.S. national security advisor during the Vietnam War, he helped President Richard M. Nixon (see entry) develop U.S. strategy and acted as the lead American negotiator at the Paris Peace Talks. After several years of discussions, he and North Vietnamese negotiator Le Duc Tho (see entry) finally reached an agreement to end U.S. involvement in January 1973. Although this agreement ultimately failed to end the war, Kissinger had several other important achievements as U.S. Secretary of State under President Gerald Ford.

A German-born scholar

Heinz Alfred Kissinger, who later changed his first name to Henry, was...