Kammala jumla mai zuwa: A farkon yakin duniya na farko ya shiga cikin 2nd Regiment Artillery Regiment ("2. Fußartillerie-Regiment") na rundunar sojojin Bavaria a matsayin Fahnenjunker. A matsayinsa na jami'in ya yi yaƙi a Yammacin Yamma a yakin Verdun da Reims, a kan
Aisne, kusa da Artois da Ypres. A ƙarshen yaƙin ya kasance Oberleutnant (laftanan na farko) kuma ya karɓi azuzuwan biyu na Iron Cross da Order of Merit na Soja na aji na IV tare da takuba don ayyukansa.