Ernst von Below was born on 17 April 1863 in Königsberg as the son of Prussian Generalmajor Ferdinand von Below. After being a cadet he joined the Prussian Army in 1881 as a Fähnrich, and a year later was commissioned a second lieutenant in the infantry. He entered the Prussian Staff College in 1890 and was promoted to premier lieutenant in the same year. In 1894, von Below was promoted to Hauptmann. In 1899 he was commandeered to the Infantry Training Battalion, attached to the 1st Foot Guard Regiment. Later he transferred to the 4th Guards Grenadiers as a company commander. From 1 April 1903 von Below served as an adjutant to Prince Joachim Albert of Prussia. On 6 May 1903 he was assigned as his personal adjutant and on 27 January 1904 he was promoted to major. Von Below left the staff on 13 September 1906, when he was appointed commander of the 2nd Battalion of the 91st Infantry Regiment. On 4 April 1908 he became commander of the 2nd Sea Battalion in Wilhelmshaven, and later would lead his unit in Qingdao. He was promoted to lieutenant colonel on 20 March 1911. After his return to Germany, from 22 March 1912 von Below was in command of the 3rd Sea Battalion in Cuxhaven. On 27 January 1913 he transferred to the 1st Guard Grenadier Regiment. With his promotion to colonel on 1 October 1913, he was appointed commander of the 153rd Infantry Regiment in Altenburg. Six months later von Below moved to the Reichskolonialamt as nominal commander of the Schutztruppe.
