Kammala jumla mai zuwa: A farkon yakin duniya na farko, Witzleben ya yi aiki a matsayin brigade adjutant a cikin 19th Reserve Infantry Brigade kafin a ci gaba da zama Hauptmann da shugaban kamfanin a cikin Reserve Infantry Regiment No.6 a watan Oktoba 1914. Daga baya, a cikin wannan rundunar, ya zama kwamandan bataliya. Ƙungiyarsa ta yi yaƙi a Verdun,
Yankin Champagne da Flanders, da sauran wurare. Ya ji rauni sosai kuma an ba shi lambar yabo ta Iron Cross, duka na farko da na biyu. Bayan haka, an tura shi zuwa horar da Janar Janar kuma ya shaida ƙarshen yaƙin a matsayin Babban Jami'in Janar na 121st Division.