Henry A. Kissinger

Henry A. Kissinger was U.S. secretary of state from 1973 to 1977; he played a major role in formulating American foreign policy during this period. Kissinger established a policy of détente, a relaxation of tensions with the Soviet Union, and pursued the normalization of relations with China. Kissinger also helped initiate the Strategic Arms Limitation Talks.

In the following viewpoint, taken from testimony given before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in September 1974, Kissinger explains the purposes and accomplishments of détente. According to Kissinger, the threat of nuclear war makes it imperative that the United States and Soviet Union work together to reduce the tensions between them. He argues that the United States should discontinue efforts to contain and defeat the Soviet Union and work...