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Henry Kissinger Quotes

Henry Kissinger
  • Mini Bio
  • Name: Henry Alfred Kissinger
  • Born: 27th May 1923, Fürth, Germany
  • Alma mater: City College of New York, Harvard University and Lafayette College
  • Occupation: Politician and diplomat
  • Government positions: U.S. National Security Adviser (1969-1975) and U.S. Secretary of State (1973-1977)
  • Government firsts: He became the first foreign-born U.S. Secretary of State
  • Nickname: The Man Behind the Curtain and The Dealmaker,
  • Political party: Republican

"The illegal we do immediately; The unconstitutional takes a little longer"

Henry A. Kissinger


Henry A. Kissinger

"The most fundamental problem of politics is not the control of wickedness but the limitation of righteousness"

Henry A. Kissinger

"They are murderous thugs, but we won’t let that stand in the way" (about the Khmer Rouge)

Henry A. Kissinger

"The guerrilla wins if he does not lose. The conventional army loses if it does not win"

Henry A. Kissinger

"It is an act of insanity and national humiliation to have a law prohibiting the President from ordering assassination"

Henry A. Kissinger


Henry A. Kissinger

"Each success only buys an admission ticket to a more difficult problem"

Henry A. Kissinger

"In the end, peace can be achieved only by hegemony or by balance of power"

Henry A. Kissinger

"Power is the ultimate aphrodisiac"

Henry A. Kissinger

"Yes, there will be a New World Order, and it will force the United States to change it's perceptions"

Henry A. Kissinger


Henry A. Kissinger

"There cannot be a crisis next week. My schedule is already full"

Henry A. Kissinger

"The absence of alternatives clears the mind marvelously"

Henry A. Kissinger

"America has no permanent friends or enemies, only interests"

Henry A. Kissinger
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Henry Kissinger Biography

Henry Kissinger was the envoy the U.S. called upon in the 1970's and 1980's for the most difficult and complex world negotiations. The profile of this articulate politician seemingly rose as high as the president himself and he became a household name around the world in the latter part of the twentieth century.

His most notable achievement was negotiating the peace deal that eventually brought an end to the Vietnam war for which he received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1973 for his role that saw the withdrawal of American troops.

The global diplomatic heights he reached were a far cry from his family's escape from Adolf Hitler's Nazi Germany in 1938 when he was a 15 year old boy. As he came of age he was drafted to the army and when his intellect and language skills were noted he served against the Germans in WW2 in the military intelligence and saw action at The Battle Of The Bulge.

After the war he concentrated on his academic career in which he excelled, during the 1950's he served as a government consultant and positioned himself for a political career which started in earnest in the 1960's.

Kissinger became the unlikely sex symbol of the Nixon Administration in the 1970's, he was rarely out of the news with his diplomatic silver tongue keeping the peace around the world while charming his way into the spreadsheets and the tabloids alike.

He is considered by many analysts as one of the most effective Secretary of State of the United States in the 20th century as he held the position from 1973 to 1977 under the administrations of Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford.

After leaving office he has worked as a consultant on the international political scene and has authored many books on diplomatic history and foreign affairs. Quick thinking diplomats often create brilliant one liners, so this is my compilation of 15 of the best Henry Kissinger quotes.

Quotes About Henry Kissinger

Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, The Shah of Iran was quoted as saying: "Henry Kissinger is possessed of a truly superior intelligence, in addition to which he has two qualities which, unfortunately, many great men lack: he is able to listen and he has a very subtle sense of humour"

The author Christopher Hitchens was not so complimentary: "A good liar must have a good memory. Kissinger is a stupendous liar with a remarkable memory"

The satirist Tom Lehrer was at a loss to say: "Political satire became obsolete when Henry Kissinger was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize"

Historian David Rothkopf described him thus: "Kissinger was the charming and worldly Mr. Outside who provided the grace and intellectual-establishment respectability that Nixon lacked, disdained and aspired to. Kissinger was an international citizen"

The politician Joe Biden was honest to admit: "I’m still intimidated by Dr. Kissinger"

Henry Kissinger  image quote