Joseph Maria von Radowitz, Jr.

Who was Joseph Maria von Radowitz, Jr.?

Joseph Maria Friedrich von Radowitz was a German diplomat who served as acting Foreign Secretary and head of the Foreign Office from 6 November 1879 until 17 April 1880.

Radowitz was born in Frankfurt am Main, the son of Prussian statesman Joseph von Radowitz. He joined the diplomatic service of Prussia in 1860, and was stationed in Constantinople, China and Japan until 1865. Upon his return to Europe, he was stationed in Paris. During the Austro-Prussian War, he served as aide-de-camp to Prince Frederick Charles of Prussia, and was subsequently attached to the Prussian diplomatic mission in Munich. He became Consul General of the North German Confederation to Bucharest in 1870 and a member of the European Donau Commission. In 1872, he was appointed as chargé d'affaires to Constantinople, before he became Director for Oriental Affairs at the Foreign Office. He was appointed as Envoy to Athens in 1874, but remained in Berlin. In 1875 he became acting Ambassador to St. Petersburg, where he offered Russia German support for Russian interests in the Balkans in exchange for Russian support for German interests in Western Europe. In 1878 he took part at the Congress of Berlin.