In 1821 Bose was a page boy at the court of Weimar. Bose entered the Prussian 26th Infantry Regiment in 1826. He became an officer in 1829. From 1832 to 1835 he studied at the Prussian Military Academy, which was a prerequisite to joining the General Staff. Bose served as an adjutant in various positions from 1835 to 1852. In 1853 he became a major on the General Staff. In 1858 Bose became chief of staff of the IV Corps. In 1860 he was promoted to colonel and given command of a regiment of infantry. A year later he was given a position in the Prussian war ministry.
