In 1915 he became the German ambassador in Greece, before being expelled from Athens in December 1916 when the Entente-leaning government of Eleftherios Venizelos took power.
Pada 1915, ia menjadi duta besar Jerman di Yunani, sebelum diusir dari Athena pada Desember 1916 saat Entente-pemerintahan Eleftherios Venizelos berkuasa.