Zbigniew Brzezinski

Zbigniew "Zbig" Kazimierz Brzeziński was a Polish-American diplomat and political scientist who lived from 1928 to 2017. He worked closely with important leaders like Lyndon B. Johnson and Jimmy Carter. During his time as National Security Advisor from 1977 to 1981, he helped shape many key foreign policies.

Brzeziński played a big role in improving relations with China, signing important treaties to limit nuclear arms, and supporting groups working for human rights in Eastern Europe. He also helped arrange peace agreements between Egypt and Israel and supported groups fighting against Soviet influence in Afghanistan.

Known for his clear vision of global affairs, Brzeziński taught at Johns Hopkins University and shared his ideas on many news programs. He came from a family of influential people, including his daughter Mika Brzeziński, who is a well-known news anchor, and his sons who have also worked in important foreign policy roles.

Early years

Main articles: History of Poland (1918–1939), Second Polish Republic, Weimar Republic, Nazi Germany, History of the Soviet Union (1927–1953), and Great Purge

Zbigniew Brzeziński was born in Warsaw, Poland, on March 28, 1928. He grew up in a family with a long history. His father, Tadeusz Brzeziński, worked as a diplomat. Because of his father’s job, Brzeziński got to see big changes in the world during his early years.

When he was very young, his father was in Germany as the Nazis were rising to power. Later, his father worked in the Soviet Union during a very difficult time there. The family moved to Montreal, Canada, in 1938. The events of World War II, including the invasion of Poland, shaped Brzeziński’s views on global politics. He often spoke about how these experiences made him understand the serious struggles between countries.

Academia

After studying at Loyola College in Montreal, Brzeziński went to McGill University, where he earned his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in 1949 and 1950. His Master’s work looked at different groups within the Soviet Union.

Brzeziński later studied at Harvard University, working on his doctorate about the Soviet Union. He received his Ph.D. in 1953 and began teaching there until 1960. He then taught at Columbia University from 1960 to 1972. Later, he was a professor at the Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies at Johns Hopkins University in Washington, D.C.

During his time at Harvard, Brzeziński spoke out against certain U.S. policies, believing they might push Eastern Europe closer to the Soviets. He visited Poland in 1957 and felt that divisions within the Eastern bloc were growing. He became a U.S. citizen in 1958.

Brzeziński also advised political campaigns and wrote about international relations, focusing on Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union. He supported better relations between the West and Eastern European countries and warned about the dangers of aggressive policies.

The Trilateral Commission

In his 1970 book Between Two Ages: America's Role in the Technetronic Era, Brzeziński suggested that developed nations needed to work together to address problems caused by growing economic inequality. From this idea, he helped create the Trilateral Commission with David Rockefeller and was its director from 1973 to 1976. The Trilateral Commission brought together important leaders from politics, business, and education mainly from the United States, Western Europe, and Japan. Its goal was to build stronger friendships among these three advanced areas of the world. In 1974, Brzeziński chose Georgia Governor Jimmy Carter to join the group.

Advisor to President Carter

Jimmy Carter chose Zbigniew Brzeziński as his main advisor on foreign matters in 1975. Brzeziński did not agree with older ideas that relied too much on calm relations with the Soviet Union. Instead, he supported focusing on human rights and peaceful talks, especially in Eastern Europe.

After becoming president in 1976, Carter made Brzeziński his National Security Advisor. Brzeziński helped write Carter's speeches, sending encouraging messages to people in Soviet-controlled countries. Some leaders in Europe and the Soviet Union did not like these messages. Brzeziński also increased broadcasts to these areas.

Brzeziński and others in the government sometimes disagreed on how to handle the Soviet Union. While some wanted to keep calm relations, Brzeziński thought the Soviets were becoming too powerful. He advised Carter to build up the military and focus on human rights. Brzeziński also helped improve relations between the United States and China.

In 1979, big events changed things. The leader of Iran was overthrown, and the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan. These events made Carter and Brzeziński see the Soviet Union as a bigger threat. Brzeziński prepared plans to counter Soviet actions.

Brzeziński also pushed for a stronger U.S. policy toward Cuba and its actions in Africa. He helped create a new U.S. military strategy for quick responses anywhere in the world.

One night in 1979, Brzeziński received a call saying many Soviet missiles were heading toward the United States. It turned out to be a mistake, but it showed how tense things were.

Brzeziński also worked to support groups opposing Soviet control in Poland. He even called Pope John Paul II to discuss the situation. Finally, Brzeziński helped create the Carter Doctrine, promising to protect the Persian Gulf with military force if needed. In 1981, Carter awarded Brzeziński the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

For historical background on this period of history, see:

• Iranian Revolution;
• Soviet invasion of Afghanistan; and
• Solidarity.

National Security Advisor

President Carter chose Brzeziński to be his National Security Advisor because he wanted someone who could give him strong advice on foreign policy. Brzeziński helped reorganize how the National Security Council worked, making sure he was one of several voices in shaping foreign policy.

Brzeziński made sure the National Security Council focused on big issues that affected many departments. He kept good records and sent regular reports to President Carter, who often added his own thoughts. Brzeziński’s role grew, and he sometimes acted as a special messenger for the President.

Major policies

In the 1960s, Brzeziński supported talking with the Soviet Union instead of fighting. In the 1970s and 80s, he helped build closer ties between the United States, Japan, and Europe.

As National Security Advisor, Brzeziński stressed the importance of human rights to challenge the Soviet Union. He also helped Carter achieve peace between Egypt and Israel at Camp David.

Afghanistan

In 1978, communists took control of Afghanistan and made friends with the Soviet Union. This led to protests and fighting. In 1979, the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan to support the new government. This surprised the United States and became a big problem for world security.

The United States decided to help groups fighting against the Soviet forces in Afghanistan. They sent money and later weapons through Pakistan. This support continued to grow under later presidents. The Soviet Union eventually left Afghanistan in 1989.

Iran

In 1979, students in Iran took over the U.S. embassy and held American workers for many months. Brzeziński disagreed with another official about how to handle the situation. They planned a mission to save the hostages, but it failed when helicopters crashed. The hostages were finally released after almost 15 months.

China

Brzeziński helped improve relations between the United States and China. He traveled to China and started talks that led to the two countries officially recognizing each other in 1979. This meant the United States would no longer recognize the government in Taiwan as the main government of China.

Arab-Israeli conflict

Brzeziński later advised presidents to talk to all groups in the Middle East, including those that others avoided.

Ending Soviet détente

Brzeziński helped change U.S. policy toward the Soviet Union, moving away from a strategy of relaxing tensions.

Nuclear strategy

Brzeziński helped change how the United States planned to use nuclear weapons against the Soviet Union.

Arms control

Brzeziński pushed for new agreements to limit nuclear weapons, believing it was important for U.S.-Soviet relations even while competing with the Soviet Union.

After power

After leaving his position, Brzeziński worried that the Democratic party was divided. He was asked to stay by Ronald Reagan, but he thought the new president needed fresh ideas for foreign policy. He had mixed feelings about the Reagan administration, supporting it as an option compared to the Democrats' pacifism, but also criticizing it for seeing the world in simple, black-and-white terms.

In the 1980s, Brzeziński believed that problems in the Soviet Union might lead to the end of communism. He stayed involved in Polish affairs, criticizing when martial law in Poland was declared in 1981. He helped prepare George H. W. Bush for a visit to Poland in 1987, which supported the Solidarity movement. He served on important commissions during the Reagan years and later supported George H. W. Bush for president, even though he was a Democrat.

Brzeziński predicted that the Soviet Union might collapse, and this happened in 1991. In 1989, Poland's Communists lost elections, and later that year, the Berlin Wall fell. He warned against too much optimism after the Cold War ended and opposed the Gulf War, thinking it might cause anger in the Arab world. He also criticized the Clinton administration for not helping more during the Bosnian war and spoke out against Russia's actions in Chechnya. He supported expanding NATO and later backed the NATO bombing of Serbia during the Kosovo war.

Later years

After Brzeziński stopped being National Security Advisor, he went back to teaching but kept sharing his ideas about world affairs. Many people in Poland respected him highly. Even when Poland was not free, he and the Polish pope were two important voices speaking for a free Poland.

Brzeziński did not strongly support any one political party. In fact, he sometimes voted for Republican leaders. For example, in 1988 he supported George H. W. Bush for president instead of the Democrat candidate.

He spoke out strongly against the invasion of Iraq in 2003, saying it would cause problems. Later, he criticized President George W. Bush’s foreign policies and the way the war on terror was handled. In 2007, he supported Barack Obama for president, saying Obama understood the need for a new direction in how America interacts with other countries.

In 2011, Brzeziński supported actions to help people in Libya during their civil war. In 2014, he wrote about the situation in Ukraine, warning about aggressive actions by Russia. He was concerned about the election of Donald Trump in 2016 and spoke about possible problems ahead.

Personal life

Zbigniew Brzeziński was married to a sculptor named Emilie Benešová, who was related to a past president of Czechoslovakia named Edvard Beneš. Together, they had three children. His elder son, Ian Brzeziński, worked in important defense roles and advised on international security. His younger son, Mark Brzeziński, served as a lawyer and ambassador to Sweden and Poland. Their daughter, Mika Brzezińska, works as a television news presenter.

Brzeziński was a strong believer in the Roman Catholic faith.

Public life

Zbigniew Brzeziński was part of many important groups, including the Atlantic Council, the National Endowment for Democracy, the Council on Foreign Relations, and the International Honorary Council of the European Academy of Diplomacy. People also called him "Zbig" as a friendly nickname.

Film appearances

Zbigniew Brzeziński appeared in several documentary films and TV series. He was featured in the 1997 film Eternal Memory: Voices from the Great Terror. He also appeared in episodes of the 1998 CNN series Cold War, produced by Jeremy Isaacs. Later, he was in the 2009 documentary Back Door Channels: The Price of Peace and the 2014 Polish film Strateg (The Strategist). Another 2014 Polish film, Jack Strong, included an actor portraying Brzeziński.

Death

Zbigniew Brzeziński died at Inova Fairfax Hospital in Falls Church, Virginia on May 26, 2017, at the age of 89. His funeral took place on June 9 at the Cathedral of St. Matthew in Washington, D.C. Former President Carter and former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright spoke at the service. Many important people from around the world were there, including journalists Carl Bernstein, Chuck Todd, and David Ignatius, as well as General Edward Rowny, former National Security Adviser Susan E. Rice, and Lieutenant General H. R. McMaster.

Former President Carter shared that he enjoyed having Brzeziński as a seatmate on flights in Air Force One. Former National Security Advisor Henry Kissinger could not attend but sent a note saying the world felt less full without Brzeziński’s wise ideas.

Honors

Zbigniew Brzeziński received many awards and honors from different countries for his work. Some of these include:

• The Presidential Medal of Freedom from the United States in 1981
• The Grand Cross of the Order of Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk from the Czech Republic in 1998
• The Order of the White Eagle from Poland in 1995
• The Second Class of the Cross of the President of the Slovak Republic from Slovakia in 2002
• The Grand Officer of the Order of the Star of Romania from Romania in 2006
• Honorary citizenship of the City of Gdańsk in Poland in 2002
• The Grand Officer of the Order of the Three Stars from Latvia in 2007

Honorary degrees

Works

Zbigniew Brzeziński wrote many books and articles about politics and international relations. His most famous works include:

• The Permanent Purge: Politics in Soviet Totalitarianism. Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1956. ISBN 978-0674732674.
• Soviet Bloc: Unity and Conflict. Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1967. ISBN 978-0674825451.
• Between Two Ages: America's Role in the Technetronic Era, 1970. ISBN 978-0313234989.
• Power and Principle: Memoirs of the National Security Adviser, 1977–1981. New York: Farrar, Straus, Giroux, 1983. ISBN 978-0374236632.
• _Game Plan: A Geostrategic Framework for the Conduct of the U.S.-Soviet Contest, 1986. ISBN 978-0871130846.
• Grand Failure: The Birth and Death of Communism in the Twentieth Century. New York: Collier Books, 1990. ISBN 978-0020307303.
• Out of Control: Global Turmoil on the Eve of the 21st Century. New York: Collier Books, 1993. ISBN 978-0684826363.
• The Grand Chessboard: American Primacy and Its Geostrategic Imperatives. New York: Basic Books, 1997. ISBN 0465027253. Translated and published in nineteen languages.
• The Choice: Global Domination or Global Leadership. New York: Basic Books, 2004. ISBN 978-0465008001.
• Second Chance: Three Presidents and the Crisis of American Superpower. New York: Basic Books, 2007. ISBN 978-0465002528.
• America and the World: Conversations on the Future of American Foreign Policy. New York: Basic Books, 2008. ISBN 978-0465015016.
• Strategic Vision: America and the Crisis of Global Power. New York: Basic Books, 2012. ISBN 978-0465029549.

Brzeziński also wrote many articles and reports on topics like foreign policy and international relations. He shared his ideas in well-known publications and contributed to important discussions about global issues.

Explanatory notes

No explanatory notes were provided in the source content for this section.