Editing Lithuanian Armed Forces (section)

==== 13th century ====
From the 12th century's end and into the 13th century, Lithuania frequently went to war against the western and southwestern [[Kievan Rus'|Rus']] states, [[Kingdom of Galicia–Volhynia|Kingdom of Galicia-Volhynia]] and [[Duchy of Masovia]], and also devastated the lands along the [[Daugava]] and elsewhere.<ref name="lt-military-medieval" /> From the early 1200s, Lithuanians fought against the [[Swordbrothers]], then from 1237 against the [[Livonian Order]], and from the second half of the 13th century's against the State of the Teutonic Order.'''<ref name="lt-military-medieval" />''' Fighting on Lithuania's northern and western frontiers was unceasing, the Lithuanian state expanded southwards and eastwards in the [[Late Middle Ages]].'''<ref name="lt-military-medieval" />''' The Lithuanian army was mobile, as it had to fight on many fronts: the [[State of the Teutonic Order]] to the west, the Livonian Order to the north, the [[Golden Horde]] and its vassal [[Muscovy (Grand Duchy)|Muscovy]] to the east, and the [[Tatars|Tatar]] khanates to the south.<ref name="lt-military-medieval" /> According to 13th-century sources, Lithuanian soldiers rode horses on military expeditions but fought on foot, arranged in three rows during battles.<ref name="lt-military-medieval" /> The best-armed and most experienced fought in the front, while the least experienced and lightly armed were in the last row.<ref name="lt-military-medieval" /> Furthermore, the Lithuanians were skilled at fighting using spears, especially on horseback. The earliest written mention of such tactics, from 1208, says that Lithuanians on horses threw spears at their enemies.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Šmidtas|first1=Eligijus|date=2019|title=Su kokia kavalerija Lietuva pasitiko kryžiuočius XIII amžiuje?|url=https://www.journals.vu.lt/lietuvos-istorijos-studijos/article/download/15923/15011|journal=Lietuvos istorijos studijos|publisher=[[Vilnius University Press]]|page=15|access-date=21 June 2021|archive-date=27 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210727175301/https://www.journals.vu.lt/lietuvos-istorijos-studijos/article/download/15923/15011/|url-status=live}}
*{{cite journal
|last1=Vitkūnas
|first1=Manvydas
|date=2011
|title=Kada lietuviai pradėjo kautis raiti?
|url=https://www.lmaleidykla.lt/ojs/index.php/lituanistica/article/download/2124/1015/
|journal=Lituanistica
|publisher=[[General Jonas Žemaitis Military Academy of Lithuania]] [[Lithuanian University of Educational Sciences]]
|page=59
|access-date=21 June 2021
|archive-date=24 June 2021
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210624205242/https://www.lmaleidykla.lt/ojs/index.php/lituanistica/article/download/2124/1015/
|url-status=live
}}</ref>

Although the Germans initially had superior weaponry in the 13th century, the Lithuanians won the Battles of [[Battle of Saule|Saule]] (1236), [[Battle of Durbe|Durbe]] (1260), [[Battle of Karuse|Karuse]] (1270) and the [[Battle of Aizkraukle|Aizkraukle]] (1279).<ref name="lt-military-medieval" /> However they were less successful against enemy fortifications, especially brick castles.<ref name="lt-military-medieval" /> Eventually the front lines stabilised over time, and the one against the Livonian Order more or less followed the modern [[Latvia–Lithuania border]], while the one against the Teutonic Order was close to the [[Nemunas]].<ref name="lt-military-medieval" /><ref name=":0">
{{Cite web
|title=Nuo seniausių laikų iki XX a. pradžios {{!}} Lietuvos kariuomenė
|url=https://www.kariuomene.lt/kas-mes-esame/istorija/nuo-seniausiu-laiku-iki-xx-a.-pradzios/23525
|url-status=dead
|access-date=2021-10-12
|website=kariuomene.lt
|language=Lithuanian
|archive-date=25 October 2021
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211025163121/https://kariuomene.lt/kas-mes-esame/istorija/nuo-seniausiu-laiku-iki-xx-a.-pradzios/23525}}</ref> A castle system fortified the Lithuanian side of the border along the river.<ref name="lt-military-medieval" />