Kurt Waldheim of Austria served as the fourth Secretary-General of the United Nations for ten years, succeeding U Thant in 1972. He was the world’s top diplomat as the Soviet Union and the United States stepped away from the threat of nuclear war in a detente, the 1973 oil crisis swept parts of the world, the Revolution reshaped Iran, and the Camp David Accords were signed.
For a perspective of this time and a personal account of working for Mr. Waldheim, whose legacy also bears the shadow of world events during the 1940s, check out UN veteran Brian Urquhart’s recollections: bit.ly/2hL873k