However, the biggest change in the life of the Ludovika Academy was triggered by the outbreak of World War I in 1914.

The mobilization, the protracted war, and the gigantic losses called for much of the teaching staff to the battlefields, where prospective officers were also very much expected. The duration of training was reduced from three to two years, which meant that fewer teachers had less time to prepare officers who would hold their ground on the battlefield well.