 He was a sea cadet from 1907 to 1908 and passed "mogenhetsexamen" at Lunds privata elementarskola on 10 June 1910 before enlisting as a volunteer at the Svea Life Guards (I 1) the day after.He enrolled at the Royal Military Academy on 19 October 1911 and graduated and became an officer of 19 December 1912.Nordenskiöld became an became "underlöjtnant" at the Svea Life Guards on 31 December 1912 and "löjtnant" there on 28 November 1916.