He served in the Franco–Prussian War and the German Foreign Service before becoming German Foreign Minister (1897–1900) and then Chancellor (1900–09) under William II. In domestic policies he was a cautious conservative, but in foreign affairs his policies were to support the emperor’s wish for German imperial expansion. Following the Boer War, when William openly supported the Boers, von Bülow improved relations with Britain, who suggested in 1900 that Germany might assist to support the decaying regime of Abdul Aziz in Morocco. France was also interested and following the entente with Britain (1904) the latter supported its claim. At first von Bülow retaliated by sending the emperor on a provocative visit to Tangier (1905), when Franco-German tension developed. He then, however, helped to convene the Algeciras Conference (1906) and in 1909 agreed that France be the protector of Morocco. He supported the Austrian annexation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, a move that helped precipitate World War I. Von Bülow retired when he lost the support of the Reichstag in 1909.