 Born on 6 March 1897 in Ingolstadt, Berchtold attended school in Munich from 1903 to 1915. He went on to serve in the Royal Bavarian Army during World War I (1914-18) and held the rank of second lieutenant at the wars end. After the war, he studied economics at the University of Munich and gained employment as a journalist. In early 1920, he joined the small right-wing extremist group the German Workers'Party (DAP). He remained in the party after it became known as the National Socialist German Workers' Party (Nazi Party; NSDAP). Berchtold became the treasurer of the Nazi Party, until he resigned at the end of July, 1921.
