Before this, from 1933, he served as the Deputy Gauleiter, first to Hans Schemm, and then to Fritz Wächtler, whom he had executed on orders by Martin Bormann.

He was a founding member of the Ortsgruppe (local branch) of the Nazi Party in Bayreuth in February 1925 and became a close protégé of Ortsgruppenleiter Hans Schemm.

[1] In October 1928 he became the business manager, propaganda leader and treasurer of the Gau Lower Franconia (Oberfranken) under now Gauleiter Schemm.

[2] On 1 February 1933 Ruckdeschel became Deputy Gauleiter of the newly formed Gau Bavarian East March (Bayerische Ostmark) again under Schemm.

After recovery from his injuries Ruckdeschel spend time in a SS training unit before serving as an inspector of the Volkssturm from January 1945 onward.

After Gauleiter Wächtler left Bayreuth on 13 April 1945 ahead of advancing US forces, Ruckdeschel denounced his long-term rival as a coward and deserter.