He was later promoted to lieutenant, to captain on 18 August 1915 and to major on 13 September 1917, participating in the Great War initially with the 233rd Infantry Regiment (he was wounded in July 1916 during an action on the Asiago plateau, for which he was awarded a Bronze Medal of Military Valor) and then in the Royal Corps of Colonial Troops of Somalia.

[1][2][3] He was later repatriated and assigned to the 71st Infantry Regiment until November 17, 1923, when he was transferred to the Royal Corps of Colonial Troops of Eritrean, commanding the 11th Eritrean Battalion with the rank of major and participating in the pacification of Libya, obtaining a Silver Medal of Military Valor for an action near Buerat on April 17–19, 1924.

On March 2, 1927 he was promoted to lieutenant colonel and on May 20, 1928, he was transferred to the Royal Corps of Colonial Troops of Cyrenaica, receiving another two Silver Medals, a Bronze Medal and a War Cross for Military Valor for successful actions against Libyan guerrillas.

He then returned from Eritrea on November 8, 1937, and was given command of the military area of Turin; in 1940 he was transferred to the Royal Corps of Colonial Troops of Libya.

On 1 September 1943 he assumed command of the entire division, replacing General Giovanni Casula.