An officer by profession, he was distinguished by the versatility of his interests and his great learning.

The King found in him a man who shared his own enthusiasm for letters.

He had been a member of the Parliament at Frankfort, and had taken a leading part among the extreme Conservatives; a Roman Catholic, he had come forward in defence of religion and order against the Liberals and Republicans; a very eloquent speaker, by his earnestness and eloquence he was able for a short time to give new life to the failing hopes of the German patriots.
Bismarck always looked on the new Minister with great dislike.

Radowitz, indeed, hated the Revolution as much as he did; he was a zealous and patriotic Prussian; but there was a fundamental difference in the nature of the two men.

Radowitz wished to reform Germany by moral influence.
Bismarck did not believe in the possibility of this.