Henry Kissinger, America’s most famous diplomat, dead at 100: Latest

Famed US diplomat Henry Kissinger has died at the age of 100, it has been announced.

Kissinger, the former US Secretary of State and the last surviving member of Richard Nixon’s cabinet died on Wednesday.

He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1973 for helping to end America’s involvement in the Vietnam War. The same year, he also led peace talks between Israel and Arab states that brought an end to the Yom Kippur War.

President Ford, who appointed him his national security adviser, handed him the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1977, for having “wielded America’s great power with wisdom and compassion in the service of peace.”

Kissinger, the son of German Jews, escaped the Nazis with his family in 1938 but returned to the country of his birth six years later serving with the US Army.

Key Points

• Henry Kissinger death: Influential US diplomat, dead at 100

• Henry Kissinger: Polarising architect of Cold War era American foreign policy

Benjamin Netanyahu says Kissinger’s death 'marks the end of an era’

11:10 , Rachel Sharp

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said that Henry Kissinger’s death “marks the end of an era”.

“It is with a heavy heart that I mourn the passing of a great statesman, scholar, and friend, Dr. Henry Kissinger, who left us at the age of 100. Dr. Kissinger’s departure marks the end of an era, one in which his formidable intellect and diplomatic prowess shaped not only the course of American foreign policy but also had a profound impact on the global stage. I had the privilege of meeting Dr. Kissinger on numerous occasions, the most recent being just two months ago in New York. Each meeting with him was not just a lesson in diplomacy but also a masterclass in statesmanship. His understanding of the complexities of international relations and his unique insights into the challenges facing our world were unparalleled. Henry Kissinger was not just a diplomat; he was a thinker who believed in the power of ideas and the importance of intellectual capital in public life. His contributions to the field of international relations and his efforts in navigating some of the most challenging diplomatic terrains are a testament to his extraordinary capabilities. As we bid farewell to this giant of a man, I extend my deepest condolences to his family, friends, and admirers around the world. His legacy will continue to inspire and guide future generations of leaders and diplomats. May his memory be a blessing.”

WATCH: Henry Kissinger, America's most famous diplomat, dies aged 100

10:50 , Rachel Sharp

Richard Nixon’s children pay tribute to his former security adviser

10:30 , Rachel Sharp

Richard Nixon’s children have paid tribute to his former national security adviser after his death on Wednesday.

“Dr. Kissinger played an important role in the historic opening to the People’s Republic of China and in advancing détente with the Soviet Union, bold initiatives which initiated the beginning of the end of the Cold War,” the Nixon daughters said in a statement.

“His ‘shuttle diplomacy’ to the Middle East helped to advance the relaxation of tensions in that troubled region of the world.”

How Kissinger’s escape from the Holocaust as a child shaped his future foreign policy

10:13 , Rachel Sharp

Heinz Alfred Kissinger was born on 27 May 1923 in Furth, Bavaria to a Jewish school teacher, Louis Kissinger, and his wife, Paula.

Growing up in the Weimar Republic, his childhood was spent living under Nazi rule.

Then, in August 1938 – shortly before Kristallnacht – a teenage Kissinger and his family fled to New York City.

While the escape saved him from the Holocaust, at least 13 of his close relatives were unable to join them and were eventually killed in the Third Reich’s concentration camps.

This experience stayed with him and he often recalled the antisemitic abuse he and his family faced during their time living in Nazi-occupied Europe.

But, there was another personal experience of the Holocaust that Kissinger rarely spoke about during his decades of public service.

Back in April 1945, while serving in the US Army, the then 22-year-old Army Sergeant was part of the American 84th Infantry Division which helped to liberate a Nazi concentration camp in Ahlem.

In rare comments about that day, Kissinger went on to write: “I see the huts, I observe the empty faces, the dead eyes.

“You are free now. I, with my pressed uniform, I have lived in filth and squalor, I haven’t been beaten and kicked. What kind of freedom can I offer?

“I see my friend enter one of the huts and come out with tears in his eyes. ‘Don’t go in there. We had to kick them to tell the dead from the living.’”

Kissinger described what he saw as an embodiment of “humanity in the 20th century”

Kissinger was acutely aware that – had they not fled a few years earlier – he and his family could have been among the victims.

He would later call that day “one of the most horrifying experiences of my life”.

VOICES: The death of Henry Kissinger – and why we will never see his America again

09:48 , Rachel Sharp

It seems highly fitting, almost poetic, that Henry Kissinger, the man who for so long embodied US foreign policy, should have died at the age of 100 in the midst of a conflict that testifies in many ways to the waning of US diplomatic power.

The arc of Henry Kissinger’s life – starting from service in the US army as a refugee from Nazi Germany, through his key role as US Secretary of State in President Nixon’s opening to China, his contribution to the Paris talks that ended the Vietnam War, and his part in negotiating the resolution of the 1973 Yom Kippur war that established the first lasting peace between Israel and the surrounding Arab countries – tracked the rise of the United States as it became the dominant, and then the sole, superpower, against the background of the Cold War.

So dominant a figure did Kissinger become, through his speaking and writing, through the advice that presidents continued to solicit, and his sheer longevity, that it is hard to believe that his formal government career actually began after the Cuban missile crisis and ended in 1977, long before the fall of the Berlin and the Soviet Union’s collapse. If he was not active in frontline diplomacy, however, his voice was still heard and his influence endured.

Mary Dejevsky writes:

Why we will never see Henry Kissinger’s America again | Mary Dejevsky

Henry Kissinger: Polarising architect of Cold War era American foreign policy

08:00 , Maroosha Muzaffar

Influential US secretary of state to Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford and Nobel Peace Prize winner remembered as arch practitioner of ‘realpolitik’ who was revered and reviled in equal measure, write Ariana Baio and Joe Sommerlad:

Henry Kissinger: Polarising architect of Cold War era American foreign policy

ICYMI: Henry Kissinger death: Influential US diplomat, dead at 100

07:45 , Maroosha Muzaffar

Henry Kissinger, the influential US diplomat who served under presidents Nixon and Ford, died on Wednesday, 29 November, according to his consulting firm.

Kissinger, who lived to be 100, died at home in Connecticut of unspecified causes, the firm said.

The diplomat, who served as Secretary of State in multiple administrations, “was a respected American scholar and statesman,” according to Kissinger Associates, Inc.

Henry Kissinger death: Influential US diplomat, dead at 100

From our archives: Nobel Peace Prize given to Kissinger despite full knowledge Vietnam War was unlikely to end, archives show

07:15 , Maroosha Muzaffar

Top US diplomat Henry Kissinger and North Vietnam’s Le Duc Tho were awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1973 despite the officials involved fully aware that the Vietnam war was unlikely to end any time in the near future.

This has come to light after newly released papers of nominations for the Peace Prize which remained a secret for 50 years. The documents were awarded on 1 January to the chief negotiator who represented Kissinger and Hanoi after a request was placed for them.

Read the full piece here:

Nobel Prize given to Kissinger despite knowing Vietnam War was unlikely to end

Chinese state media pays tribute to Kissinger: ‘The old friend of the Chinese people’

06:45 , Maroosha Muzaffar

“Today, this ‘old friend of the Chinese people,’ who had a sharp vision and a thorough understanding of world affairs, has completed his legendary life,” China News said in an obituary.

On Weibo, the hashtag “Kissinger just came to China this year” went viral. Henry Kissinger visited China more than 100 times in his lifetime and more recently in July this year.

CCTV, the state broadcaster, called Kissinger a “legendary diplomat” and a “living fossil” who had been a witness to the development of China-US relationship.

Anthony Bourdain’s savaging of Kissinger lights up X

06:00 , Graeme Massie

“Once you’ve been to Cambodia, you’ll never stop wanting to beat Henry Kissinger to death with your bare hands,” wrote the late chef and TV travel personality.

Henry Kissinger ‘left an indelible mark on America’s history’

05:45 , Maroosha Muzaffar

Mike Pompeo, former secretary of state, said Henry Kissinger “was a model of service and a great American” and “left an indelible mark on America’s history”.

In his tribute, Mr Pompeo added: “From the day he came to the United States as a teenager fleeing Nazi Germany, Dr Kissinger dedicated his life to serving this great country and keeping America safe. He left an indelible mark on America’s history and the world.

“I will always be grateful for his gracious advice and help during my own time as Secretary. Always supportive and always informed, his wisdom made me better and more prepared after every one of our conversations,” he wrote on X.

Chinese state media pays tribute to Kissinger: ‘The old friend of the Chinese people’

05:15 , Maroosha Muzaffar

“Today, this ‘old friend of the Chinese people,’ who had a sharp vision and a thorough understanding of world affairs, has completed his legendary life,” China News said in an obituary.

On Weibo, the hashtag “Kissinger just came to China this year” went viral. Henry Kissinger visited China more than 100 times in his lifetime and more recently in July this year.

CCTV, the state broadcaster, called Kissinger a “legendary diplomat” and a “living fossil” who had been a witness to the development of China-US relationship.

'World has lost a tireless advocate for peace’, Winston Lord says

04:45 , Maroosha Muzaffar

Winston Lord, a former US ambassador to China, said “the world has lost a tireless advocate for peace”.

Kissinger’s former special assistant at the White House national security council, Mr Lord said in a statement that “America has lost a towering champion for national interest”.

“During more than seven decades, he transformed America’s role in the world, held the nation together during a constitutional crisis, crafted visionary volumes, counselled world leaders, and enriched the national and international discourse,” Mr Lord added.

George W Bush pays tribute to Kissinger

04:15 , Maroosha Muzaffar

Former president George W Bush remembered Henry Kissinger for “his wisdom, his charm, and his humour”.

In a statement, he said: “I have long admired the man who fled the Nazis as a young boy from a Jewish family, then fought them in the United States Army. When he later became Secretary of State, his appointment as a former refugee said as much about his greatness as it did America’s greatness.

“He worked in the Administrations of two Presidents and counselled many more. I am grateful for that service and advice, but I am most grateful for his friendship.”

Henry Kissinger death: Influential US diplomat, dead at 100

03:45 , Maroosha Muzaffar

Henry Kissinger: Polarising architect of Cold War era American foreign policy

03:13 , Maroosha Muzaffar

Influential US secretary of state to Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford and Nobel Peace Prize winner remembered as arch practitioner of ‘realpolitik’ who was revered and reviled in equal measure, write Ariana Baio and Joe Sommerlad:

Henry Kissinger: Polarising architect of Cold War era American foreign policy

Anthony Bourdain’s savaging of Kissinger lights up X

02:42 , Graeme Massie

“Once you’ve been to Cambodia, you’ll never stop wanting to beat Henry Kissinger to death with your bare hands,” wrote the late chef and TV travel personality.

Henry Kissinger: Polarising architect of Cold War era American foreign policy

02:32 , Graeme Massie

Influential US secretary of state to Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford and Nobel Peace Prize winner remembered as arch practioner of ‘realpolitik’ who was revered and reviled in equal measure, write Joe Sommerlad and Ariana Baio.

Henry Kissinger: Polarising architect of Cold War era American foreign policy

Henry Kissinger’s life in images

02:22 , Graeme Massie

Henry Kissinger death: Influential US diplomat, dead at 100

02:13 , Graeme Massie

Former diplomat left a major impact on US policy around the world, writes Josh Marcus.

Henry Kissinger death: Influential US diplomat, dead at 100

Henry Kissinger dead at 100

02:11 , Graeme Massie

This is a live blog covering the death of Henry Kissinger at the age of 100 on Wednesday.