In August 1914, he signed up to serve in the First World War; he served in France, Russia and Turkey, eventually being promoted to second lieutenant of the reserve Imperial Army.[1] From 1918 to 1920 he joined the Freikorps[2] and fought against Bolshevism in the Baltics.[2] In 1920, he returned to his hometown, where shortly after taking up work at an agency firm, he was found guilty of receiving stolen property and sentenced to eight months in prison.[2]