In significantly changed conditions, the tribesmen wrote a petition to the Emperor. After receiving a negative answer, they put 800 insurgents under arms. This time, they do not have the support of Montenegro, because it was blackmailed by the war. Help can only come from the Herzegovinian side. The Commander-in-Chief of the Austro-Hungarian army, vice marshal Stefan Jovanović was in no hurry to fight. He waited for enough troops to gather and for the weather conditions to improve. This attitude encouraged the insurgents, who attacked the stations during the winter months and occupied Orahovac and Dragalj.