His younger brother Wichard (1902–1982) and their cousin, Hauptmann Gebhard von Alvensleben, were Wehrmacht officers who helped rescue 139 prominent hostages from members of the SS, who had escorted their truck convoy from Dachau concentration camp to Niederdorf in South Tyrol, during the last days of the Second World War.

[2] Like his two older brothers, Ludolf Jakob von Alvensleben attended school at the Knights Academy (de) in Brandenburg an der Havel until he volunteered for service in the First World War, joining the 10th (Magdeburg) Hussars, headquartered in Stendal.

As a consequence of the German territorial losses mandated by the Treaty of Versailles, Alvensleben became one of a large number of Junkers who lost their lands to the new Polish state.

The similar name, Selbstschutz involvement, shared fanaticism and areas of murderous activity, has resulted in the identities of both men at times being confounded by historians.

[7] By the end of October 1939, many of the younger members of the Volksdeutscher Selbstschutz in Danzig-West Prussia were incorporated into the Ordnungspolizei, Sicherheitsdienst (SD) or Wehrmacht.

They were given new duties as ethnic cleansers with the Reichskommissar fur die Festigung des Deutschen Volkstums (RKFDV) and its affiliate organizations in an operation that became known as Intelligenzaktion Pommern.

[9] Between October 1939 and the spring and the summer of 1940, Alvensleben made use of his Volksdeutscher Selbstschutz auxiliaries to play a significant part in the massacre of the Polish intelligentsia in West Prussia and later in Lublin and Warsaw.

[12] Following the armistice between Fascist Italy and the Allies, SS-Gruppenführer Globočnik on 13 September 1943 was appointed the HSSPF of the newly established Operational Zone of the Adriatic Littoral, with headquarters in Trieste.

[14] On 10 April 1945, he was given the title of SS and Police Leader (SSPF) Adria-West (Western Adriatic) which he held until the surrender of the German forces in Italy.