The descendant of an old Swabian noble family, he was orphaned at a young age but received an excellent education at German universities, before beginning his military career in 1621 in the Habsburg army.

In 1632 he entered Swedish service and raised two cavalry regiments, serving with distinction but falling out with the Swedes before the Battle of Nördlingen, after which he lost all his estates to the victorious Habsburg forces.

Christoph Martin von Degenfeld was born in 1599 at his family's Hoheneybach Castle [de] near Geislingen an der Steige in the Duchy of Württemberg.

[7][8] Christoph Martin thus studied at the universities of Strasbourg, Tübingen, and Jena, and undertook a Grand Tour in Switzerland, France, England, and the Netherlands.

For this he was promoted on the battlefield to the rank of Obristwachtmeister (major) and received the privilege of bringing news of the victory to Archduke Leopold Wilhelm of Austria.

[2][9][12] His subsequent career in Habsburg service saw Degenfeld fighting against the Dutch Republic under Ambrogio Spinola at the Siege of Bergen op Zoom in 1622), and in Jutland under Tilly against Christian IV of Denmark at the Battle of Lutter in 1626.

[2][9] On his dismissal from Imperial service, Degenfeld was knighted by the Emperor, and received permission to carry a white eagle as a charge on his coat of arms.

[9][15] For his services he was granted large estates that the Swedes had confiscated in Swabia—Kapfenburg [de], Straßberg, Lautlingen, mediatised ecclesiastical domains near Schwäbisch Gmünd and of Schussenried Abbey—but these, and even the previous family possessions, were lost after the crushing Habsburg victory at the Battle of Nördlingen in September 1634.

[18] His success aroused envy, and after court intrigues and friction between him and Cardinal Richelieu, who had initially supported him but later suspected him due to his friendship with Louis, Count of Soissons, Degenfeld left French service in 1642.

[20] At the time, Venice was embroiled in the conflict around possession of the Duchy of Castro, supporting the claims of Odoardo Farnese, Duke of Parma, against Pope Urban VIII.