After the shooting of the demonstration ("Bloody Sunday") on January 9, 1905, he declared that he "considers it a shame to use weapons against an unarmed crowd."

With the outbreak of World War I he returned to Russia, along with his brigade he participated in battles in East Prussia.

Since December 1916 - assistant flag captain on the ground of the headquarters of the head of the landing of the Black Sea.

Since February 1917 - assistant to the chief of staff of a separate Black Sea Naval Division, which was to take part in the Bosphorus landing operation.

He supported the efforts of the commander of the Black Sea Fleet, Admiral Kolchak, to maintain order in the army and navy.

At the end of March 1917 he was sent to Petrograd to work in the commission on the revision of statutes and charters in accordance with new legal norms.

Suppressed soldier protests in Nizhny Novgorod, Tver, Vladimir, Lipetsk, Yelets and other cities.

Verkhovsky's activity as minister caused sharp criticism from representatives of the generals, including Anton Denikin.

In December 1918 he was released and joined the Red Army, did not long serve as chief of the operational department of the headquarters of the Petrograd Military District.

Defense Minister Kliment Voroshilov sent one of his articles to Joseph Stalin with a proposal to release the author from prison.

Accused of participating in an anti-Soviet military conspiracy, preparing terrorist acts against party and government leaders.

One of the “evidence” was the award pistol found at Verkhovsky during a search, which he received in 1916 for his differences in battles with the Germans.