This investigation evaluates the success of Henry Kissinger's policies during the tense period of the Cold War and subsequent years, particularly relating to peace summits with Russian officials in 1972 and 1973 regarding the Strategic Arms Limitation Treaties. This investigation evaluates Kissinger's impact during the SALT treaty period on reducing nuclear weapons and implementing détente. Specifically, how Kissinger got what he wanted, the risks involved, and the outcome of the treaties. The sources used, Détente and the Nixon Doctrine, by Robert S. Litwak and Kissinger: 1973, The Crucial Year, by Alistair Horne, will then be evaluated for their origins, purposes, values ​​and limitations.B. Summary of the EvidenceOn January 20, 1969, Richard Milhouse Nixon became the 37th president of the United States and faced great challenges at home and on the world front. Richard Nixon chose Henry Kissinger as his assistant for national security affairs. Under their control for the next 6 years, they oversaw the formation of détente and the creation of Triangular Diplomacy. The Nixon-Kissinger strategy in approaching the Soviet Union was full of contradictions and risks. One of the most serious and notable risks was the potential pre-emptive nuclear strike that the Soviets threatened to undertake against China; an attempt by the Soviets to force the Chinese to negotiate the Sino-Soviet border. Getting involved in Soviet affairs was very dangerous, because, as Kissinger observed, the balance of power due to the missile force was shifting from US dominance to that of the Soviets. Kissinger, once he realizes this fact, ... middle of paper ... thins the global community by reducing the threat of nuclear war through arms reduction and by helping each superpower share a newfound respect and understanding from the other, both welcome the long-awaited period of stability. The détente for which Kissinger so actively fought created a new method of cooperation between the superpowers, effectively decreasing the intensity of conflict felt during the Cold War era. Works Cited Aitken, Jonathan. Nixon: a life. London: Regnery Pub. 1993.Ambrose, Stephen. Nixon: The Education of a Politician. New York: Simon and Schuster. 1987.Horne, Alistair. Kissinger: 1973, The Crucial Year. New York: Simon and Schuster. 2009.Kissinger, Henry. The years of upheaval. Canada: Little, Brown and Company. 1982. Litwak, Robert. Détente and the Nixon Doctrine. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 1984.