At the outbreak of the First World War he was Major General and was deployed on the Dolomite front.
In December 1915, he was part of the Italian Expeditionary Corps in Albania. A brigade under his command occupied the stronghold of Durrës, but had to evacuate it in February 1916 by sea after the end of the Evacuation of the Serbian Army.
Back in Italy and promoted to Lieutenant General, he was placed in command of the "Palermo" infantry brigade and then of the "Cagliari". After the successful defense of the Tagliamento River, he returned to Albania and assumed command of the XVI Italian Army Corps in December 1916 until the end of the war.
On 3 June 1917, on the occasion of the anniversary of the Statuto Albertino, he issued the so-called "Proclamation of Gjirokaster", authorized by Minister of Foreign Affairs Sidney Sonnino, which ensured Albanian independence under an Italian protectorate. In July 1918 he was appointed Grand Officer of the Military Order of Savoy.
In September 1919, he was in command of the Italian troops who had to prevent Gabriele D'Annunzio from entering Fiume.