After a lifelong officer's career in various infantry regiments, he acquired the special respect of Frederick II in the Seven Years' War as general, and was honored by him with the appointment as governor of Berlin.

2 under the command of Lieutenant General Otto Magnus von Doenhoff, became a Fahnrich (cadet) on 8 June 1715, and took part in the Pomerania campaign of the Great Northern War in the same year.

[3] In the War of the Polish Succession, his regiment, now under the command of Field Marshall Erhard Ernst von Röder, moved to Magdeburg, and subsequently to Heidelberg, with Prince Eugene of Savoy.

In the course of the Second Silesian War, the regiment took part in numerous battles and captured the occupied Cosel on 5 September 1745; subsequently Hülsen was promoted to colonel on 9 November.

After the death of his predecessor, Lieutenant General Asmus Ehrenreich von Bredow, he was appointed Proprietary colonel of the 21st Infantry Regiment on 25 February 1756, which was stationed in Halberstadt and Quedlinburg.

"[4] Hülsen commanded the leading element of Frederick's task force, while his named regiment was fighting under Lieutenant General Joachim Christian von Tresckow.

The complexity of the battle orders, and the conditions of terrain made the execution of Frederick's wishes difficult; Hülsen's troops did not actually advance until mid-afternoon.

[1] On 20 August 1760, he was able to defend himself against a hostile uprising with 12,000 men in the Battle of Strehla, whereupon the King gave him 1500 thalers, and wrote: "I congratulate you [...] [Please extend to ] Officers of your subordinate Corps [...] My most gracious Compliments.

His own horses had all been killed and a foot wound precluded his walking, so he mounted a cannon and commanded the men to pull him up the hill.

Simultaneously, but without coordination, hussars commanded by General of Cavalry Hans Joachim von Zieten mounted a parallel attack in the next sector.

[8] After the war, Hülsen was honored by Frederick II with the post of governor of Berlin on 23 August 1763, and in 1766 was charged with a court investigation against the financial councilor Erhard Ursinus.