In the interwar years, he joined the Nazi Party and rose to become an SS-Brigadeführer in the Allgemeine SS and a Generalmajor in the Wehrmacht.

He studied at the Gymnasium in Meiningen, Darmstadt and Frankfurt am Main, and was sent to the military school for boys in Potsdam in March 1891.

On the outbreak of the First World War, Wulffen participated in combat in Belgium in August 1914 and later in France during September and October.

During the German spring offensive in early 1918, Wulffen led his battalion during the heavy combat in northern France and distinguished himself in action.

[1][2] Wulffen was transferred to the staff of Heeresgruppe Boehn under Generaloberst Max von Boehn and served as adjutant until he was promoted to the rank of Major in October 1918 and transferred to the staff of XXVI Reserve Corps under General Oskar von Watter.

After the war, Wulffen worked as a salesman and became involved in right-wing politics by joining the Hamburger Nationalklub [de], a Hamburg-based group for conservative businessmen, in which he became the business manager.

[1] Wulffen transferred from the SA to the Schutzstaffel (SS) in early 1933 (membership number 72,208) and was commissioned as an SS-Sturmführer on 3 September.

[3] Wulffen was recalled to active military service with the army at the end of August 1939 with the temporary rank of Oberst, and was attached to the general staff in Berlin.