The
First Chechen War, also known as the
War in Chechnya, was a conflict between the
Russian Federation and the
Chechen Republic of Ichkeria, fought from December 1994 to August 1996. After the initial campaign of 1994–1995, culminating in the devastating
Battle of Grozny, Russian federal forces attempted to seize control of the mountainous area of Chechnya but were set back by Chechen
guerrilla warfare and raids on the flatlands despite Russia's overwhelming manpower, weaponry, and
air support. The resulting widespread
demoralization of federal forces and the almost universal opposition of the Russian public to the conflict led
Boris Yeltsin's government to declare a
ceasefire with the Chechens in 1996 and sign a
peace treaty a year later.