Facts:   - party: austrian people 's party    - predecessor: rudolf kirchschläger u thant      - birth date: 21 december 1918    - branch: austria -lrb- 1941 -- 1945 -rrb- -lrb- 1936 -- 1937 -rrb- nazi germany germany    - birthname: kurt josef waldheim    - profession: lawyer , diplomat    - chancellor: franz vranitzky    - death date: 14 june 2007    - spouse: elisabeth waldheim    - office: president of austria secretary-general of the united nations    - term end: 8 july 1992 31 december 1981    - awards: iron king zvonimir cross 2nd class medal of the crown of    - unit: 5 army 11th italian army army group e alpine division pusteria '' kampfgruppe west '' 9th    - death place: vienna , austria    - birth place: sankt andrä-wördern near vienna , german austria    - signature: kurt waldheim signature.svg    - successor: thomas klestil javier pérez de cuéllar    - nationality: austrian    - alma mater: vienna consular academy    - imagesize: 245px    - battles: world war ii    - children: lieselotte gerhard christa    - term start: 8 july 1986 1 january 1972    - image: bundesarchiv bild 183-m0921-014 , beglaubigungsschreiben ddr-vertreter in uno new.png    - religion: roman catholicism    - rank: oberleutnant   Based on these bullet points, write a short biography describing the life of kurt waldheim .
The answer to this question is:
kurt josef waldheim -lrb- ; 21 december 1918 -- 14 june 2007 -rrb- was an austrian diplomat and politician .waldheim was the fourth secretary-general of the united nations from 1972 to 1981 , and the ninth president of austria from 1986 to 1992 .while he was running for president in austria in 1985 , his service as an intelligence officer in the `` wehrmacht '' during world war ii raised international controversy .