Strategising Peace Through Power: Henry Kissinger’s Realpolitik and Shuttle Diplomacy in the Early 1970s Middle East

Delalić Selma (International Burch University, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina), selma.delalic@ibu.edu.ba
Mekić Dželila (International Burch University, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina), dzelila.mekic@stu.ibu.edu.ba

Henry Kissinger, one of the most influential and controversial diplomats of the late 20th and early 21st centuries, played a pivotal role in shaping the geopolitical landscape of the Middle East through his shuttle diplomacy following the Yom Kippur War. This article explores the multidimensional and layered nature of Kissinger’s strategy, grounded in the geostrategic concepts of Saul Bernard Cohen. While Kissinger’s mission aimed to end hostilities between Israel and its Arab neighbours, it also sought to counterbalance the expanding Soviet influence in the region, a critical aspect often overlooked in the existing scholarly work. By examining the geopolitics of oil, power, and influence through the lens of the Carter Doctrine, this study illustrates how Kissinger’s realpolitik not only influenced the Arab-Israeli peace negotiations but also altered the dynamics of the Cold War, thereby reshaping the course of history.

Keywords: Henry Kissinger, mediated communication, Soviet Union, Yom Kippur War, geopolitics, oil