In February 1917 he succeeded the late
Grossadmiral Anton Haus as
Marinekommandant and as
Flottenkommandant (Fleet Commander). Promoted to full
Admiral, he was appointed to the additional post of
Chef der Marinesektion in April 1917, succeeding the late
Karl Kailer von Kaltenfels. Njegovan was the last man to hold all three posts. He received the Grand Cross of the
Order of the Iron Crown for the battle of the
Otranto Straits, 14/15 May 1917. Njegovan continued Haus' strategy of preserving his major forces as a '
fleet in being'. However, he was unable to ease ethnic tensions on individual warships, where sailors were also influenced by radical agitators. Another pressing problem for which Njegovan could find no solution involved shortages of food, fuel, and other vital supplies. In the face of such difficulties, in 1917, Kaiser
Wilhelm II of Germany and Kaiser
Karl I of Austria proposed an unrealistic plan for an invasion of
Venice using the whole fleet. Njegovan steadfastly opposed the proposal, which eventually was dropped. The abortive nationalist-inspired mutiny at Cattaro (
Kotor) in February 1918 underscored the need for a more energetic fleet commander. Relieved of command, Njegovan was succeeded as
Flottenkommandant by
Miklós Horthy and as
Chef der Marinesektion by Franz von Holub. The office of
Marinekommandant was left vacant. Retired on 1 March 1918, Njegovan spent the rest of the war in Pola. Pensioned and promoted to
Grossadmiral on the retired list, he was decorated with the Grand Cross of the
Order of Leopold for his services to the Empire. == Postwar ==