George Hansen was born in Sonnefeld, the son of Theodor Hansen, a Oberforstmeister (Senior Ranger) for the Duchy of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. In Coburg, he attended since 1914 the Gymnasium (high school) Casimirianum, where he graduated in 1923. He then studied law for two semesters at the University of Erlangen. In 1924 he joined the Panzergruppe (Tank Corps) of the Reichswehr (Imperial Defense Forces, later the Wehrmacht). He was promoted to Leutnant (Second Lieutenant) in 1927, and then Oberleutnant (First Lieutenant) in 1931 at the Bavarian Motor Vehicles Department in Fürth. In the same year he married Irene Stölzel from Michelau; with her he had five children.