Henry Kissinger, one of the most influential figures in U.S. diplomacy during the Cold War era, has passed away at the age of 100. While he was celebrated for his role in opening relations with China, negotiating arms control agreements with the Soviet Union, and helping end the Vietnam War, his legacy remains deeply divisive.

Kissinger, a German-born Jewish refugee who rose from academia to diplomacy, passed away at his Connecticut home on Nov. 29, according to his geopolitical consulting firm, Kissinger Associates.

During the 1970s, amidst the Cold War tensions, Kissinger served as National Security Adviser and Secretary of State under Presidents Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford. His achievements include the diplomatic opening with China, arms control negotiations with the Soviet Union, improved relations between Israel and its Arab neighbors, and the Paris Peace Accords with North Vietnam, Reuters reported.

However, Kissinger also faced criticism and accusations of being a war criminal due to his support for anti-communist dictatorships, particularly in Latin America. In his later years, some countries sought to arrest or question him about past U.S. foreign policy actions.

Kissinger also spied on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. to undermine the “Black anti-war movement.” According to Seymour Hirsch’s book, “Price of Power: Kissinger in the Nixon White House,” Kissinger was given an envelope from Federal Bureau of Investigation Director J. Edgar Hoover that contained a detailed account of King’s alleged extramarital sex life, Daily Kos reported.

Kissinger has been called the “most notorious living war criminal” while he was alive. He was slammed for trying to “undermine respect for human rights and international law.”

“Kissinger was routinely lambasted by his critics as a “war criminal,” though has never been held accountable for his misdeeds. He made millions as a consultant, author, and commentator in the decades since he left government,” Mother Jones reported.

Senator Bernie Sanders once said of Kissinger, “I happen to believe that Henry Kissinger was one of the most destructive secretaries of state in the modern history of the country. I am proud to say that Henry Kissinger is not my friend. I will not take advice from Henry Kissinger,” The New York Times reported.

Henry Kissinger, Center for Strategic and International Studies, https://www.csis.org/people/henry-kissinger