 During 1936, Marić became Minister of the Army and Navy, replacing Živković, who had been intriguing against the government.Before this occurred Marić had told the British naval and military attachés that any mobilisation of the army would take 25 days, and revealed that shortfalls in many items of equipment were severe, including gas masks, steel helmets, tents, horseshoes, small arms ammunition, saddlery and tanks.The new Chief of the General Staff was "Armijski đeneral" Milutin Nedić, brother of Milan, who had been the General Officer Commanding the Royal Yugoslav Air Force.