Whakaotihia te rerenga e whai ake nei: I te timatanga o te Pakanga Tuatahi o te Ao, i mahi a Witzleben hei kaihauturu pirihimana i te 19th Reserve Infantry Brigade i mua i tana whakatairanga ki Hauptmann me te rangatira kamupene i te Reserve Infantry Regiment No.6 i te Oketopa 1914. I muri mai, i roto i taua taua, ka riro ia hei rangatira o te ope taua. I whawhai tana waeine ki Verdun, te
Ko te rohe o Champagne me Flanders, me ētahi atu wāhi. I whara kino ia, ka whakawhiwhia ki a ia te Iron Cross, te tuatahi me te tuarua o nga akomanga. Whai muri mai, i tukuna ia ki te whakangungu General Staff ka kite i te mutunga o te pakanga hei Tumuaki Tuatahi mo te Tumuaki Tuatahi o te Rōpū 121.