Editing Lithuanian Armed Forces (section)

===Interwar and post-war periods===
{{Bar chart|float=right|title=Size of active Lithuanian Army during the interwar|label_type=Date|data_type=Total number|data_max=90,000
|label3=5 March 1919|data3=3,000|comment3={{Sfn|Vaičenonis|2002|p=144}}
|label4=24 January 1920|data4=28,903|comment4={{Sfn|Vaičenonis|2002|p=150}}
|label5=8 September 1920|data5=27,802|comment5={{Sfn|Vaičenonis|2002|p=150}}
|label6=1 January 1921|data6=43,996|comment6={{Sfn|Vaičenonis|2002|p=151}}
|label7=1 November 1924|data7=13,241|comment7={{Sfn|Vaičenonis|2002|p=152}}
|label8=1 May 1926|data8=7,894|comment8={{Sfn|Vaičenonis|2002|p=152}}
|label9=1 January 1928|data9=16,483|comment9={{Sfn|Vaičenonis|2002|p=158}}
|label10=1 December 1934|data10=19,784|comment10={{Sfn|Vaičenonis|2002|p=158}}
|label11=1 March 1938|data11=25655|comment11={{Sfn|Vaičenonis|2002|p=170}}
|label12=5 September 1939|data12=37,027|comment12={{Sfn|Vaičenonis|2002|p=172}}
|label13=30 September 1939|data13=89,470|comment13={{Sfn|Vaičenonis|2002|p=172}}
|label14=1 March 1940|data14=31,895|comment14={{Sfn|Vaičenonis|2002|p=146}}}}

After Lithuania's [[Act of Independence of Lithuania|restoration]] on 16 February 1918, the country immediately began creating an army.<ref name="lt-military-interwar">{{cite web
|url=https://www.vle.lt/straipsnis/lietuvos-ginkluotosios-pajegos-1918-1940/
|title=Lietuvos ginkluotosios pajėgos 1918–1940
|publisher=Visuotinė lietuvių enciklopedija
|language=lt
|access-date=2 May 2021
|archive-date=4 May 2021
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210504180953/https://www.vle.lt/straipsnis/lietuvos-ginkluotosios-pajegos-1918-1940/
|url-status=live
}}</ref> The Ministry of Defence's first order, issued on 23 November 1918, is considered to mark the establishment of the modern Lithuanian Armed Forces.<ref name="lt-military-hist">
{{cite web
|url=https://kariuomene.lt/en/who-we-are/history/23563
|title=The fight for Lithuanian statehood. From ancient times to NATO
|access-date=3 May 2021
|archive-date=3 May 2021
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210503115335/https://kariuomene.lt/en/who-we-are/history/23563
|url-status=dead
}}</ref> The newly-formed army almost immediately fought [[Lithuanian Wars of Independence|three wars of independence]]. Having won the [[Lithuanian–Soviet War]] and the [[Lithuanian Wars of Independence#War against the Bermontians|war against the Bermontians]], Lithuania lost large chunks of territory, including its capital [[Vilnius]] in the [[Polish–Lithuanian War]]. Armoured equipment in the [[interwar period]],primarily consisted of [[light tank]]s and [[Armored car (military)|armored car]]s: French [[Renault FT|Renault FT-17]]s, British [[Light tanks of the United Kingdom#Commercial Carden-Loyd tanks|Vickers Carden-Loyd M1934s and M1936]]s, Swedish [[Landsverk L180, L181 and L182|Landsverk-181]], and German [[Ehrhardt E-V/4]].<ref name="lt-military-interwar" /> In 1935, the country opened an advanced [[Military Science|military research]] laboratory, specialising in chemical materials for ammunition as well as defence against [[chemical warfare]].<ref>{{cite web 
|title=Tyrimų laboratorija 
|url=https://modernizmasateiciai.lt/tyrimu-laboratorija/ 
|website=Modernizmasateiciai.lt 
|access-date=4 February 2022 
|language=lt 
|date=3 February 2019 
|archive-date=4 February 2022 
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220204164912/https://modernizmasateiciai.lt/tyrimu-laboratorija/ 
|url-status=live 
}}</ref> The construction of the laboratory was supervised by [[Juozas Vėbra]]. In 1940, Lithuania had a [[Lithuanian Air Force#1919–1940|considerable Air Force]], consisting of 118 aircraft with about half of them designed and produced locally. During the [[World War II]], Lithuania was invaded by [[Resistance in Lithuania during World War II|both Nazis and Soviets]], which eventually concluded in [[Occupation of the Baltic states|Soviet occupation]]. The Lithuanian Armed Forces transformed into the [[Lithuanian People's Army]] in 1940 under the [[People's Government of Lithuania]].<ref>{{cite web 
|last1=Knezys 
|first1=Stasys 
|title=Lietuvos liaudies kariuomenė 
|url=https://www.vle.lt/straipsnis/lietuvos-liaudies-kariuomene/ 
|website=[[Visuotinė lietuvių enciklopedija]] 
|access-date=28 January 2022 
|language=lt 
|archive-date=28 January 2022 
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220128102847/https://www.vle.lt/straipsnis/lietuvos-liaudies-kariuomene/ 
|url-status=live 
}}</ref> Despite [[Soviet deportations from Lithuania]], [[Lithuanian partisans|armed Lithuanian resistance]] lasted until the 1950s.

<gallery class="center" heights="150px" mode="packed">
File:Tankai_Renault-FT-17.jpg|Lithuanian [[Renault FT|Renault FT-17]] tanks in 1924
File:Lietuvos kariuomene 1938.Army of Lithuania in1938.jpg|Lithuanian Army in 1938
File:ANBO-III 05.jpg|Lithuanian design [[ANBO III]] aircraft from 1930s
</gallery>