In 1880, Maximov served with a Flying Medical Company offering medical aid to wounded men during the Russian conquest of Turkmenistan. During this time, Maximov met Mikhail Skobelev, the famous "White General" who led the conquest of Central Asia, who always remained Maximov's role model. Despite his ostensible medical duties, in practice Maximov led an "advance flying squad" of cavalry that fought against the Turkmen as Skobelev led his army deeper and deeper into Central Asia. In 1881 after the assassination of the Emperor Alexander II by "Narodnik" terrorists, the monarchist Maximov joined the Corps of Gendarmes in order to fight against anarchists as like many other Russian conservatives, Maximov was outraged over the assassination of Alexander II. Maximov served in the Caucasus as a gendarme until his resignation in 1884.