Editing Lithuanian Armed Forces (section)

==== 17th century ====
The 17th century was marked by wars against Sweden, the [[Tsardom of Muscovy]] and the [[Ottoman Empire]].<ref name="lt-military-medieval" /> The Lithuanian army and the Polish army fought against the Ottoman forces notably at both Battles of Khotyn in [[Battle of Khotyn (1621)|1621]] and [[Battle of Khotyn (1673)|1673]].<ref name="lt-military-medieval" /> During the [[Polish–Swedish War (1600–1629)|war with Sweden]] from 1600 to 1629, the Lithuanian army defeated Swedish forces three times their number at the [[Battle of Kircholm]] in 1605.<ref name="lt-military-medieval" /> However, this war highlighted the Commonwealth's difficulty recruiting and retaining enough troops, better arming its soldiers with firearms and bettering their use.<ref name="lt-military-medieval" /> Sweden seized a significant part of Livonia as part of [[Swedish Livonia]].<ref name="lt-military-medieval" /> In the first half of the 17th century, Smolensk returned to Lithuania following the [[Smolensk War]].<ref name="lt-military-medieval" />

The Commonwealth's military weakness in the middle and late 17th century was evidenced in the [[Deluge (history)|Deluge]].<ref name="lt-military-medieval" /> In 1655, the much-smaller Lithuanian army could not defend the Lithuanian capital of [[Vilnius]] against Muscovite attack.<ref name="lt-military-medieval" /> This was the first time that Vilnius was occupied by a foreign state.<ref name=":0" /> The Swedish and Muscovite armies occupied large parts of Lithuania.<ref name="lt-military-medieval" /> Nevertheless, Lithuania succeeded in holding out and liberated Vilnius, [[Kaunas]], [[Samogitia]] and the eastern Voivodeships, except for [[Smolensk Voivodeship]] and other parts.<ref name="lt-military-medieval" /> Militarily speaking, the Grand Duchy of Lithuania was weakening however.<ref name="lt-military-medieval" />