Richard Schulze was born in Berlin-Spandau on 2 October 1914. He joined the SS on 11 November 1934 stationed to the 6.SS standarte in Berlin. A short while later he was transferd to the LSSAH. In April 1935 he attended the second cadet class at SS Junkerschule Bad Tölz and was commissioned on 20 April 1936 with the rank of Untersturmführer. He was assigned to II./Totenkopfverbänd "Elbe" until March 1937 when he served a four month stint as Theodor Eicke's adjutant. It was while adjutant to Eicke that Schulze joined the NSDAP.

On 10 July 1937 Schulze was assigned to "Thüringen", where he served as adjutant until November 1938. He recieved his first promotion as a commissioned officer on the 9th and shortly after assumed command of one of the "Thüringen" barracked units. In April 1939 Schulze was transfered to the SS Hauptamt (central office) where again he served as adjutant, this time to SS Hauptamt chief August Heissmeyer. Schulze served in this capacity until 8 June, he was then transfered to a similiar post on the staff of Joachim von Ribbentrop, Germany's Foreign Minister and father of future Ritterkreuzträger Rudolf von Ribbentrop.

In April 1940 Schulze was transeferred to the Leibstandarte and placed in command of a zug in 2.Kompanie. Serving in this capacity at the outset of the hostilities in the west, Schulze went on to distinguish himself by winning both Iron Crosses and taking command of the Kompanie when the Kompanie commander was wounded on 11 June. Promoted to Hauptsturmführer on 11 August, after France's capitulation Schulze returned back to his staff position with Ribbentrop.

In January of 41' Schulze transferred back to the Leibstandarte's 2.Kompanie. He would command 2.Kompanie until suffering wounds in both arms that August.