As a young officer he taught the young Franz Joseph I of Austria artillery skills, but at the age of 32 he became was the main organiser of the Hungarian artillery during the Hungarian Revolution of 1848 and 1848/49 war of independence. Initially he was a lieutenant, but was promoted to the rank of lieutenant colonel in January 1849 in Debrecen. He was not himself involved in frontline combat but was the organizer of artillery production, training of artillerymen and city defenses. He was evacuated as the Austrians advanced, until the Hungarian surrender.