 He was the son of forester August Balthasar who on 25 October 1914 was killed in action as a "Hauptmann" on the Western Front of World War I.In 1933, Balthasar joined the "Reichswehr" with "Artillerie Regiment" 3, an artillery regiment of the 3rd Division.In 1935, he transferred to the Luftwaffe and was promoted to "Leutnant" (second lieutenant) on 20 April 1935.