 Nyora kupfuurira kweiyi ndima - baba vaJanis Balodis vaive munyori wenhoroondo uye mudzidzisi Voldemārs Balodis. Muna 1898 akabatana neImperial Russian Army uye akashanda muKaunas. Kubva muna 1900 kusvika muna 1902 akadzidza paVilnius War School. Kubva munaNovember 1904 kusvika munaJuly 1905 akapinda muRusso-Japanese Hondo uye akakuvara zvakaipisisa paruoko. Kubva muna 1906 kusvika muna 1914 Balodis akashanda muVilnius. Pakutanga kweHondo Yenyika I akakuvadzwa zvishoma muhondo muEast Prussia, nokuda kwaakagamuchira mibairo yakawanda. Musi waFebruary 20, 1915, apo akanga achirapa muchipatara, akabatwa neuto reGermany uye akapedza nguva yasara yehondo mumusasa wePOW muSilesia. 