Czechoslovak Legion
During World War I, he served in the Czechoslovak Legion. He enlisted on 14 July 1914 and was assigned to the 8th Infantry Regiment operating in Sibiu, Transylvania. He was captured by Russians in 1915 and on 1 August 1916 he joined the Czechoslovak Legion in Russia. During his stay in Russia, he became familiar with the cultural life of the country and occasionally he organized and performed on public concertos. In June, 1920, he travelled from Vladivostok to Terst and later back to the Czechoslovakia.