Roßbach was born in Kehrberg, Pomerania. During the Baltic fighting of 1919, his Freikorps Roßbach [de] made an extremely long march from Berlin across Eastern Europe to rescue the Iron Division (another Freikorps) from destruction by the Latvian Army.[1] It went on to participate in the Kapp Putsch in 1920, get banned, and then reformed under numerous changing front organizations, each of which in turn was banned.[2] Money came from the Landbund, heavy industry, and arms dealing.