Kurt Waldheim's path to becoming President of Austria and Secretary-General of the United Nations, despite his concealed Nazi past, is a complex narrative involving political maneuvering, a lack of thorough vetting, and a delayed reckoning with historical truths.

According to www.iAsk.Ai - Ask AI:

Kurt Waldheim became President of Austria in 1986 and served as Secretary-General of the United Nations from 1972 to 1981, despite revelations of his service as an intelligence officer in Nazi Germany's Wehrmacht during World War II, which included his presence during atrocities and membership in Nazi-affiliated organizations. His election to these prominent international and national roles occurred due to a combination of factors, including his successful diplomatic career, initial lack of widespread public knowledge or scrutiny of his wartime activities, and, in the case of his Austrian presidency, a controversial campaign that leveraged nationalistic sentiments.

Early Life and Diplomatic Career

Kurt Waldheim was born in Sankt Andrä-Wördern, near Vienna, on December 21, 1918. His father, of Czech origin, changed the family name to "Waldheim" as the Habsburg monarchy collapsed. Waldheim pursued studies in law and diplomacy at the Consular Academy in Vienna. He volunteered for the Austrian Army in 1936 and, following the German annexation of Austria in 1938, joined the National Socialist German Students' League (NSDStB) and the Sturmabteilung (SA), the Nazi Party's paramilitary wing [1] [6].

In early 1941, Waldheim was conscripted into the Wehrmacht and served on the Eastern Front, where he was wounded in December 1941 [1]. He claimed to have been discharged after this injury and spent the remainder of the war finishing his law degree at the University of Vienna [1] [2]. However, later investigations revealed that his military service continued until 1945, during which he rose to the rank of Oberleutnant [1]. His roles included interpreter and liaison officer in Montenegro, Bosnia, and Albania, and later as an aide-de-camp and intelligence officer with Army Group E in Yugoslavia and Greece from 1942 to 1945 [1] [5]. Army Group E was led by General Alexander Löhr, who was executed as a war criminal in 1947 [1]. Waldheim's name appeared on the Wehrmacht's "honour list" for Operation Kozara, an anti-partisan operation involving mass reprisals and deportations [1]. He was also present in areas where significant atrocities occurred, including the mass deportation of Greek Jews from Salonika to death camps [5].

After the war, Waldheim joined the Austrian diplomatic service in 1945, escaping denazification proceedings despite his Nazi affiliations [1]. He held various diplomatic posts, including First Secretary of the Legation in Paris, Ambassador to Canada, and Permanent Representative of Austria to the United Nations [1] [5]. From 1968 to 1970, he served as Federal Minister for Foreign Affairs for the Austrian People's Party [1].

United Nations Secretary-General

Waldheim first ran for President of Austria in 1971 but was defeated [1]. He then sought the position of Secretary-General of the United Nations. In the 1971 selection, he was supported by the Soviet Union and, initially, by the United States and the United Kingdom. Despite a veto from China in the second round, he secured an "accidental victory" in the third round when the permanent members failed to coordinate their vetoes and all abstained [1]. His alleged Nazi connections were known to some Finnish officials who supported another candidate, but this information was not widely used against him [1].

As Secretary-General from 1972 to 1981, Waldheim presided over major international conferences and diplomatic efforts, particularly in the Middle East [1]. He was re-elected for a second term in 1976, again overcoming initial opposition from China [1]. However, when he sought an unprecedented third term in 1981, China and the United States engaged in a veto duel, leading to a deadlock that ultimately forced both Waldheim and his challenger, Salim Ahmed Salim of Tanzania, to withdraw [1]. This event established a customary two-term limit for the office [1].

Presidency of Austria and the "Waldheim Affair"

Waldheim made a second, successful bid for the Austrian presidency in 1986 [1]. However, his campaign was overshadowed by what became known as the "Waldheim affair." Investigative journalist Alfred Worm and later Hubertus Czernin revealed omissions in Waldheim's autobiography regarding his wartime service [1] [3]. The World Jewish Congress (WJC) played a crucial role in exposing Waldheim's concealed past, alleging that he had lied about his service in the SA and his role as a special missions staff officer in Yugoslavia and Greece [1] [3] [4]. The WJC's research, based on captured German wartime records, revealed that Waldheim had been implicated in Nazi mass murder and was listed by the UN War Crimes Commission as wanted for murder [1] [4].

Waldheim initially dismissed the allegations as "pure lies" but later admitted to knowing about German reprisals, claiming he was powerless to act [1]. An international committee of historians, appointed by the Austrian government, concluded in 1988 that while there was no evidence of his personal involvement in crimes, Waldheim had been "in close proximity to some Nazi atrocities, knew they were going on and made no attempt to stop them" [1] [5].

Despite the growing international controversy, Waldheim won the presidential election in June 1986 [3]. His victory was seen by some as reflecting Austria's reluctance to confront its own role in the Holocaust [1] [3].

International Isolation and Later Years

Throughout his presidency (1986-1992), Waldheim faced significant international isolation. On April 27, 1987, the United States Departments of Justice and State announced that evidence established a prima facie case that Waldheim participated in Nazi-sponsored persecution, prohibiting his entry into the U.S. [1] [2] [5]. This marked the first time a head of state was placed on an immigration watchlist [1]. Other major countries, with the exception of some Arab nations and Liechtenstein, also unofficially deemed him persona non grata [1] [2] [3].

The "Waldheim affair" triggered a fundamental debate in Austria about the country's past during World War II [5]. Waldheim did not seek re-election after his term ended in 1992. He died on June 14, 2007, at the age of 88 [1]. In a posthumously published letter, Waldheim admitted to making "mistakes" but denied being an accomplice to a criminal regime [1].

The case of Kurt Waldheim highlights the challenges of historical accountability and the complexities of international diplomacy in the aftermath of major conflicts.

Answer Provided by iAsk.ai – Ask AI.