Rubuta ci gaba ga wannan sakin layi - A farkon yakin duniya na farko ya shiga cikin 2nd Foot 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.