 The country gave a fundamental contribution to the victory of the conflict as one of the "Big Four" top Allied powers.The war was initially inconclusive, as the Italian army got stuck in a long attrition war in the Alps, making little progress and suffering very heavy losses.However, the reorganization of the army and the conscription of the so-called "'99 Boys" ("Ragazzi del '99", all males born in 1899 who were turning 18) led to more effective Italian victories in major battles, such as on Monte Grappa and in a series of battles on the Piave river.