I knew Kissinger only slightly (he worked to charm journalists, just as he believed in engaging other adversaries) but see lessons both in his accomplishments and in his catastrophes. He had a capacity to see around corners, perceive possibilities for change and then work tirelessly to achieve them. China early in the Nixon administration was isolated and chaotic, with Red Guards rampaging through the country. But Kissinger saw opportunity and nurtured it in ways that led to the unimaginable: a presidential visit and eventually normalization of relations and an explosion of trade. Russia felt sufficiently outmaneuvered that it then invited Nixon to Moscow and signed a landmark arms control agreement.

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Persons: Henry Kissinger, Kissinger, Prince Metternich’s, Nixon Organizations: Red Guards Locations: Europe, China, Russia, Moscow