Beck was born at Freiburg im Breisgau, and entered the army of the Austrian Empire in 1848. He distinguished himself as chief-of-staff of an infantry division at the Battle of Magenta, and in 1863 was made personal aide-de-camp to the Emperor. He held this position, with that of adjutant-general and chief of the imperial military chancery until 1881, winning the Emperor's confidence and exercising the greatest influence on all military questions.