He was born in 1895 in Samsun of the historic region of Pontus and was son of Kosmas Akoglou and Afroditi Grigoriadi. He spent his early childhood in his mother's birthplace, Kotyora (now Ordu). He later returned to Samsun where he completed his studies after graduating from the local high school. In 1915 he came to Greece where he was enlisted in the troops of the Provisional Government of National Defence based in Thessaloniki, taking part in the Battle of Skra-di-Legen where he was wounded. After the end of World War I, he served in the military as a reserve lieutenant while participating in the Asia Minor Campaign. He was later stationed in the armed forces from which he was demobilized in 1935 with the rank of Major. He returned to the army temporarily during the Greco-Italian War.