He was born on 19 September 1894 in Craiova, Dolj County, in the Oltenia region of the Kingdom of Romania. He descended from a family from Dobriceni, Olt County with a long military tradition. His father, Sergeant Alexandru Dobriceanu-"Chiorul" fought at the Siege of Plevna during the Romanian War of Independence, where he lost his left eye. Young Dobriceanu spent part of his childhood in the family compound at Dobriceni, and then returned to Craiova.