Kammala jumla mai zuwa: An haifi Kuhn 15 ga Yuli 1817 a Proßnitz, Moravia, Daular Austriya (yanzu Prostějov a Jamhuriyar Czech), ɗan Major Franz von Kuhn (1772-1842), wanda aka ɗaukaka shi a 1823, da 'yar manomi Johanna Schwab (1787-1856). Ya kammala karatu tare da bambanci daga Cibiyar Nazarin Sojoji ta Theresian a Wiener Neustadt kuma ya shiga aikin soja a 1837. Ya yi aiki a kan babban ma'aikacin ma'aikata a matsayin Major a lokacin yaƙe-yaƙe na 1848 da 1849 a Italiya da
Ƙasar Hungary. Daga baya, Kuhn ya kasance shugaban babban ma'aikacin rundunar sojojin 11 a Hungary na shekaru da yawa. A cikin 1852 an ba shi matsayin baronial kuma ya auri Rosa von Thuren. An daukaka shi zuwa Oberstleutnant (Laftanan Kanal) a shekara ta 1853. A shekara ta 1856, Kuhn ya zama farfesa na dabarun soja a makarantar soja a Vienna. Ya shiga cikin Yaƙin Italiya na 'Yancin kai na biyu a 1859, a matsayin shugaban babban ma'aikacin Field Marshal Ferenc Gyulay, A ranar 29 ga Oktoba, 1863, an daukaka shi zuwa mukamin Manjo Janar.