During Fuchs's tenure as Governor-General, World War I broke out. Despite the German invasion and occupation of Belgium in August 1914 and Fuchs tried to preserve the Congo's neutrality in accordance with the Congo Act of 1885. His attitude was criticised by many of the Congo's Belgian settlers. However, after a skirmish between German and Belgian forces on Lake Tanganyika at the border between the Congo and German East Africa, Belgian forces became actively involved alongside Allied troops in the East African Campaign. In March 1915, he was recalled to Belgium by the Minister of the Colonies, Jules Renkin, and ordered to resign in September. He was replaced in the function by Eugène Henry in January 1916 but continued to hold an advisory post in the Ministry of the Colonies.