A professional soldier on the outbreak of World War I, Ravenstein fought as an infantry officer on the Western Front.

Awarded the Pour le Mérite in 1918, he participated in the border disputes with Poland after the war before leaving the military.

He was captured by soldiers from the Intelligence section, 21 Battalion, 2nd New Zealand Division during the British Eighth Army's Operation Crusader.

[2] Despite an early interest in becoming a pastor in the Lutheran Church, Ravenstein began a military education in 1899 when he entered Wahlstatt Cadet School.

During his time there, he made the acquaintance of Kaiser Wilhelm II while occasionally serving as a page at the Neues Palais (New Palace) at Potsdam.

The same year he met his future wife, Elisabeth von Oriola, who was from an aristocratic Silesian family of Portuguese descent.

He made the acquaintance of the city's mayor, Dr. Karl Jarres, who, in 1926, offered him a role as the manager of the Duisburg tramway system.

[5] As an anti-Nazi, he found it hard to secure employment so in 1934 he rejoined the army as a major attached to the 2nd Battalion of the 60th Infantry Regiment.

On 1 October 1936 he was promoted to oberstleutnant (lieutenant colonel) and shortly afterwards was given command of the 4th Rifle Regiment, 1st Light Division, based at Iserlohn.

At one stage, having crossed the Meuse and Oise Rivers and accompanied by several panzers, his regiment captured the headquarters of the French 9th Army although its commander, General Henri Giraud, was away at the front at the time.

During his time there he was briefly part of the German Military Mission to Romania and later, after the Battle of Greece, was a liaison officer at the court of King Boris III of Bulgaria.

On 20 May 1941, he was promoted to generalmajor[Note 2] and appointed commander of the 5th Light Division, which was serving in Libya as part of Generalleutnant Erwin Rommel's Afrika Korps.

[9][Note 3] Ravenstein arrived in North Africa a few days later to take up command of the 5th Light Division and was almost immediately brought into action when the British commenced Operation Battleaxe.

For the next few months, the Afrika Korps built up its stores in preparation for offensive operations against Tobruk[11] and during this period Ravenstein went on leave to Rome.

[12] In the evening of 18 November 1941, the British Eighth Army commenced Operation Crusader, intended to relieve the Siege of Tobruk.

[12] Ravenstein was transported by ship from Tobruk but it was sunk by an Italian torpedo bomber and was rescued by a British corvette after spending two hours in the sea.