Rubuta ci gaba don wannan sakin layi - A watan Agusta 1914, a farkon Yaƙin Duniya na Farko, an ba Bahrfeldt umurnin Rundunar Tsaro ta 19, wani ɓangare na X. Reserve Corps da rundunar soja ta 2. Ya kama Charleroi
a ranar 22 ga Agusta, 1914 kuma, wanda Allies suka zarge shi da aikata mugunta a Charleroi, a cikin 1925 an yanke masa hukuncin kisa "in absentia" ta kotun Belgian. Rukunin sa ya halarci yakin St. Quentin da kuma yakin da ya biyo baya na Marne. Ya yi yaƙi a Yaƙin farko na Champagne kuma a watan Yuni 1915 an ba shi umurnin 10th Reserve Division kuma ya inganta zuwa Janar der Infanterie. Ya jagoranci rundunarsa a cikin yakin Verdun kuma an cire shi daga rundunar a watan Afrilu 1916.