Waldheim, Kurt, << VALT hym, koort >> (1918-2007), was an Austrian diplomat who served as secretary-general of the United Nations (UN) from 1972 to 1981. He replaced U Thant of Burma (now Myanmar). As secretary-general, Waldheim carried out several difficult peacekeeping missions. He failed to stop a war between China and Vietnam in 1979, though the fighting ended that same year. In 1980, Waldheim could not get the release of American hostages held in Iran. The Americans were freed in 1981. He also failed to end the Iran-Iraq War that began in 1980. A UN-arranged cease-fire halted the fighting in 1988, six years after he had stepped down as secretary-general.
From 1986 to 1992, Waldheim served as president of Austria, a largely ceremonial position. His campaign for the presidency was marked by controversy when records surfaced concerning his possible involvement in Nazi atrocities during World War II. The documents showed that Waldheim had been a German army officer in units that killed thousands of Yugoslav patriots and assisted in the deportation of thousands of Greek Jews to concentration camps during the 1940’s. Waldheim denied involvement in these actions.
Waldheim was born on Dec. 21, 1918, near Vienna. He attended the Vienna Consular Academy and earned a law degree at the University of Vienna. Waldheim entered the Austrian foreign service in 1945. He became permanent Austrian observer at the UN in 1955 and headed Austria’s first delegation to the UN that same year. From 1964 to 1968, and again in 1970 and 1971, he served as Austria’s representative at the UN. He was Austria’s foreign minister from 1968 to 1970. Waldheim died on June 14, 2007.
