University of Cambridge

In the week that Germany marked the twentieth anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, Dr Henry Kissinger reflected on Germany's role in world affairs past, present and future.

His perspective on international diplomacy is unique: he was at the heart of US foreign policy decision-making between 1969 and 1976, and he has also subsequently advised governments in the US and elsewhere.

He extended a policy of détente that gradually brought about better relationships with Russia and the People's Republic of China; his diplomatic skills were also tested in ending hostilities with Vietnam and negotiating an end to the Yom Kippur War.

But on Wednesday evening the Nobel Prizewinner's Realpolitik was clearly to the fore, as he ranged across topics including Russia's response to German reunification, the global financial crisis, the EU presidency, Afghanistan, media analysis of policymaking and modern methods of warfare.

To begin with, Dr Kissinger was interviewed by Anne McElvoy, executive editor of the London Evening Standard and formerly The Times's foreign correspondent in Germany, and Markus Hesselmann, online editor and UK correspondent of leading daily newspaper Der Tagesspiegel.

He then took questions from an invited audience of Fellows, students and guests from the University and Xchanging plc, the sponsors of this lecture series at Pembroke.

Within the discussion, Dr Kissinger covered a variety of topics which included speaking of the responsibility politicians have today: 'They have more to do in any one day than someone could possibly accomplish: it's always a conflict between the urgent and the important. They're responsible for the best that can happen, but also for the worst.'

He also considered what would have happened on D-Day if there had been cable television stating: 'Whether democracies can fight a war at all under the conditions of instant analysis, that's an open question."

When commenting on the fact that he could not foresee a third world war he said: 'the preconditions of an international conflict are much better understood now than by previous generations.'

The lecture was organised by Pembroke College, the Department of German and Dutch, and Judge Business School.

This was the second lecture of five sponsored by David Andrews, the CEO and founder of Xchanging plc, which is a member of Pembroke's Corporate Partnership Programme.

Xchanging has long-standing interests in Germany, and this annual lecture series aims to engage with and contribute to the cultures and countries in which it operates.

Last year's inaugural Xchanging lecture was delivered by Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck, Academy Award-winning director of The Lives of Others.

The entire interview has been recorded and an audio file will be made available shortly on Pembroke's website.

Reproduced courtesy University of Cambridge Office of Communications