Ernst Sachs (24 December 1880 – 23 August 1956) was a German career military officer who later joined the SS and became its Chief of Telecommunications with the rank of SS-Obergruppenführer and General of the Waffen-SS during the Second World War. Early life and military career Sachs was born in Berlin, the son of a postal director. When he was seven years old, the family moved to Gotha where he graduated from the gymnasium and joined the Imperial German Army as a Fahnenjunker (officer cadet) on 10 March 1900. He attended military school in Neisse, (today, Nysa, Poland) and was commissioned a Leutnant in Railway Regiment No. 1 on 18 August 1901. In October 1904, he enrolled in the in Berlin where he studied electronics until July 1907. At that time, he transferred to Telegraph Battalion No. 1 in Berlin-Treptow. On 27 January 1910, he was promoted to Oberleutnant and served in the Telegraphics Inspection Office for one year beginning in October 1910. His next posting from October 1911 to October 1913 was as Adjutant of Telegraph Battalion No. 1. Promoted to Hauptmann in October 1913, he served until August 1914 as company commander in Telegraph Battalion No. 6. During the First World War, Sachs served in several posts, all with signals units. In February 1916 he became the Adjutant to the Chief of Field Telegraphy in the general headquarters of the Oberste Heeresleitung (Supreme Army Command) and then Chief of the Communications Department in the Prussian War Ministry on 15 May 1917. During the war, he was awarded the Iron Cross, 1st and 2nd class. After the end of the war, Sachs remained in the peacetime Reichswehr as a signals officer and was involved in training of communications officers. He advanced to the ranks of Major on 5 February 1923 and Oberstleutnant on 1 November 1928. Holding several communications positions, he was made commander of the signals division of the artillery school in Jüterbog on 1 November 1930. During this assignment, he was successively promoted to the ranks of Oberst (1 April 1931) and Generalmajor (1 December 1933). On 1 October 1934, Sachs was appointed commander of the new Army Communications School at Jüterbog, which moved to Halle (Saale) in July 1935. His final promotion to Generalleutnant came on 1 October 1935, and Sachs retired from military service with this rank on 30 September 1936. Career in the SS