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 (Kingdom of Bavaria).

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 Istanbul, before he became Director for Oriental Affairs at the Foreign Office.

After the death of Bernhard Ernst von Bülow, Radowitz was appointed as acting Foreign Secretary, until he was succeeded by Chlodwig, Prince of Hohenlohe-Schillingsfürst.

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