Walter Richard Rudolf Hess was born in Alexandria, Egypt on 26 April 1894. Rudolf was the eldest son of Fritz Hess, a successful German businessman who had immigrated to Egypt. When in 1908 his father bought property in Bavaria, Rudolf Hess returned to Germany to continue his studies at a school in Godesberg-am-Rhein. Coming as he did from an upper middle class family background Hess was well educated. Rudolf Hess served as a lieutenant with the 16th Bavarian Reserve Infantry Regiment during the First World War. He was wounded three times; the last time seriously. On his release from hospital Hess joined the Imperial Air Corps. He had just completed his pilot training when the First World War came to an end. Hess was demobilized in December 1918.
His right-wing leanings led Hess to join the Freikorps in 1919. In 1920 Hess entered the university in Munich to study economics, history, and geopolitics – the study of the influence upon the politics of a country through its geographical position. Hess maintained an interest in politics over many years. It was through a chance encounter in 1920 that Hess heard Hitler speak for the first time. The young Hess was so impressed that he joined the fledgling NSDAP soon after. Rudolf Hess quickly became a constant companion of Adolf Hitler. Hess often fought alongside the SA in the numerous street battles against the Communists.