During the First World War, Balotta fought as an artillery officer on the Karst plateau, where he was wounded. After the war he commanded the 7th Field Artillery Regiment "Pisa" and later the "Leonessa" Artillery Regiment in Brescia. From May 1935 to January 1936 he served as acting Chief of Staff of the artillery of the Udine Army Corps; in 1936 he was promoted to colonel and given command of the 30th Artillery Regiment, and from October 1937 to September 1939 he was commander of the Central School of Artillery, writing several articles for the magazine "Rivista di Artiglieria". In 1939 he participated in the invasion of Albania.