He was a member of several Prussian and German Parliaments and served as Weimar Germany's Minister of Food and Agriculture from 1923 to 1926 Kanitz was born in Podangen, East Prussia (current-day Podągi, Poland), the son of the conservative politician Hans von Kanitz.

He attended the Wilhelmgymnasium in Königsberg and served in the 3rd (East Prussian) Cuirassiers "Count Wrangel".

Kanitz took over his family estate at Podangen after his father's death in 1913[1][2][3] Following his service in World War I he became chairman of the agricultural association in the district of Preußisch Holland (Pasłęk) and member of the provisional German economic council (Vorläufiger Reichswirtschaftsrat [de]).

[1] From 1919 to 1921 Kanitz was a member of the Prussian Constitutional Assembly and member of the Weimar German Parliament from 7 March 1921 until May 1924 representing the constituency of East Prussia.

[1] Kanitz married Valeska Freiin von Tiele-Winckler (1893–1949) in 1912.