When World War I began with Austria-Hungary's declaration of war on Serbia on 28 July 1914, Puhallo's V Corps — made up of the 14th and 33rd Infantry Divisions and the 37th "Honvéd" Division — was part of General of the Cavalry Victor Dankl's 1st Army, which was deployed in northern Galicia. During the larger Battle of Galicia, Puhallo's troops were involved in Dankl's victory over Imperial Russian Army forces in the Battle of Kraśnik of 23–25 August 1914, but after Russian counterattacks caused the Austro-Hungarian forces to the south to collapse, Puhallo's corps, along with the rest of the 1st Army, had to withdraw from the southern approaches to Lublin along the San River and pull back behind the San until mid-September 1914.