He was briefly the Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Yugoslav Royal Army in World War II, but played no real part in the conduct of the defence of Yugoslavia when it was invaded by the Axis powers in April 1941.

Following the breakthrough on the Thessaloniki Front of World War I, he became the fourth Serbian officer promoted to field marshal.

He took part in peace negotiations with Turkey, held in London in 1913, as a military expert in the Serbian Government delegation.

In January 1916, he was appointed Chief of General Staff for a second time in place of the ailing vojvoda Radomir Putnik, who was carried by his soldiers to the city of Skadar.

He held that position until June 1918, when he resigned because of disputes with the allied generals on the issue of widening the Thessaloniki Front.

He returned to his position Commander of the 1st Army, which broke the enemy lines and advanced deep into the occupied territory.