: His wartime service in the U.S. Army and the discovery of concentration camps reinforced his belief that resisting evil requires physical strength rather than just compromise or norms.
Kissinger’s strategic philosophy was deeply influenced by his early life and intellectual formation: Henry Kissinger and the American Century
: Born in Weimar Germany, Kissinger’s experience with the rise of Nazism and his status as a Jewish refugee fostered a lifelong skepticism of popular democracy and a fear of "democratic weakness". : His wartime service in the U
Henry Kissinger's career and worldview were fundamentally products of the global shifts that defined the "American Century"—an era where the United States emerged as the indispensable guarantor of global security. His diplomacy was rooted in , a pragmatic approach prioritizing national interest and the balance of power over ideological or moral absolutes. The Foundations of a Realist Worldview Henry Kissinger and the American Century