Whakaotihia te rerenga e whai ake nei: Ka rite ki ona tupuna, ka uru atu a Curt von François ki te Pirihimana o Prussia. I mahi ia hei hoia i te Pakanga Franco-Prussian o 1870-71, i mate ai tona papa i te mahi i te wa o te
Te Pakanga o Spicheren i te 6 o Akuhata 1870, ka whakawhiwhia ki te Iron Cross. I te tau 1883 i mahi ia hei kairangahau whenua i runga i te haerenga torotoro i te awa o Kasai i te rohe o Kongo i raro i te kaiarahi o Hermann Wissmann, a, e rua tau i muri mai ka uru atu ia ki tetahi atu haerenga ki Kongo i arahina e George Grenfell. I te hokinga ki Tiamana, ka noho ia hei mema o te Tiamana General Staff, a ka eke ia ki te taumata o "Hauptmann" (Kapene). I te tau 1887 i tukuna ia hei rangatira rangahau i Tiamana ki Awherika ki te Hauauru. Mo te tari o waho, i tirotirohia e ia a Togoland me te huarahi tauhokohoko ki Salaga ki te rohe o Mossi i te raki.