Lithuania

There is no best player. That's just an opinion. However, there are some extraordinary players:

Zydrunas Ilgauskas - plays for Cleveland Cavaliers. He leads in blocks and personal fouls. He also played his 10,000 match recently, with Cleveland Cavaliers. He has been on the team for 14 years now.

Arvydas Sabonis - you should know this name, especially if you're a basketball fan. He was a legend! The best player in Europe in his time! He retired 5 years ago and played for 23 years. Playing for the Soviets, he averaged more than 20 points per game. He helped Lithuania rise to 2nd place in 1995 Eurobasket and 3rd place in 1992 and 1996 Olympics. With the Soviets, he also won the gold medal in 1988 Olympics. He later played for Portland Trailblazers and had many fans. A tall and powerful center, he could easily dunk basketballs, block his opponents and oust them on the field. He possessed better-than-average ball handling skills and could hit threes as easily as any guard. A wonderful player!

Sarunas Marciulionis - played mainly for Golden State Warriors and Denver Nuggets. He was a tall, accurate 3-pt shooter, playing as a shooting guard. On the field, no one could stop him from scoring baskets. Many would commit fouls against him, but he would score anyway and head to the free-throw line. He also starred in the 1988 Olympics and won gold medal for Soviet Union. In 1992 and 1996, he helped Lithuania win bronze medals. Unfortunately, because of his continuous injuries, he retired in 1997.

Darius Songaila - played for the Sacramento Kings and the Washington Wizards. He is a power forward with small forwards skills and to this day frustrated players by bringing his energy and tenacity to the game.

Linas Kleiza - plays for the Denver Nuggets. He is a very underrated player and is a small forward with a power forward body. Can get on fire quickly and loves to shoot for three. Although there have been some thoughts that he isn't Lithuanian, he is in fact Lithuanian. Was a key sixth man for the Nuggets. Now, he's playing for Olympiacos and is a leader in scoring (17 points per game).

Arturas Karnisovas - a dangerous forward, he was great on offense and defense. He could hit a three, get under the basket for a dunk, and attack from midrange. He averaged more than 14 points per game for Lithuanian national team in Eurobasket 1995, Atlanta 1996 and World Championship 1998. He played in for Olympiacos in McDonald's Championship of 1997 against Jordan and Co. and was the leading scorer (19 pts). However, because of injuries, he ended his career when he was 31.

Marijonas Petravicius - plays for Lietuvos Rytas. He also won the Baltic Basketball League in 2006 and 2007 and won ULEB Eurocup finals with Lietuvos Rytas, where he was named finals MVP, as he scored 20 points. Also a member of Lithuanian National basketball team.

Ramunas Siskauskas - plays for CSKA Moscow. Nicknamed "Baltic Pippen", he is known for his athleticism, quickness and leaping ability. He won many championships throughout his career and was named MVP at least twice. He has helped Lithuanian national team in 2000, 2004 and 2008 Olympics and 2003 Eurobasket. He has received many awards for his outstanding performance.

Sarunas Jasikevicius - played for the Indiana Pacers as well as the Golden State Warriors. He saw little minutes in the NBA and eventually returned to play in Llithuania, but has proven steady in his home country as well as in the Olympics. With his national team, he scored 30 points in the semifinals against USA and nearly won. Short, quick, motivated, he shows everyone that he is more than a regular point guard does - he accurately shoots inside and outside of the 3-point line and can make amazing passes. However, following an injury that threatened his career (in 2009), his playing worsened. Many believe that it's the end of his legacy, but still, a great player.

Robertas Javotkas - a 6'11'' prospective center fell down the ladder which would have lead him up to NBA when he got into an accident. Despite small chances for a comeback to basketball afterwards, Javtokas continued his basketball career a year later after the accident. Although he might have lost a great opportunity, he has proved himself to be a potent center against any team. His athleticism, his rebounding ability, his blocking ability, and recently, his occasional 3-pointers, are all traits that he retained after the accident. It is sufficient to say that his performance is the same as it was before the accident. As a member of the Lithuanian national team, he has won a third place in Eurobasket 2007.

Darjuš Lavrinovič - played for the Lithuanian Olympic team many times. His career achievements include winning the LKL bronze medal, winning the Eurobasket 2007 bronze medal, and winning the Baltic Basketball League silver medal in 2006.

Arvydas Macijauskas - often called "Kalishnikov" and "sniper", his amazing and deadly three-point shooting ability has helped Lithuanian national team for years. He starred in Eurobasket 2003, where he was the top scorer and won a gold medal. In Athens 2004, he helped Lithuania win 1st place in the preliminary round and drop a 5-0 record, with wins against U.S. and Puerto Rico. He also participated in World Championship 2006. He made an unsuccessful debut in the NBA with Hornets during the 2005-06 season, but he was usually benched. After a court case, in which he violated the contract of his former team Olympiacos, he remains inactive.

All players that have received an award:

• Valdemaras Chomicius
• Sergejus Jovaisa
• Arturas Karnisovas
• Rimantas Kaukenas
• Rimas Kurtinaitis
• Ksystof Lavrinovic
• Darjus Lavrinovic
• Arvydas Macijauskas
• Saulius Stombergas
• Eurelijus Zukauskas
• Mindaugas Zukauskas
• Mindaugas Timinskas
• Martynas Andriuskevicius
• Antanas Kavaliauskas
• Giedrius Gustas
• Darius Lukminas
• Stasys Stonkus
• Stepas Butautas
• Pranas Lubinas
• Feliksas Kriauciunas
• Gintaras Einikis
• Arunas Visockas
• Gintaras Krapikas
• Jonas Kazlauskas
• Vladas Garastas
• Darius Maskoliunas
• Dainius Adomaitis
• Kestutis Marciulionis
• Robertas Javtokas
• Donatas Slanina
• Simas Jasaitis
• Simonas Serapinas
• Andrius Slezas
• Tomas Delininkaitis
• Paulius Jankunas
• Jonas Maciulis
• Marius Prekevicius
• Algirdas Lauritenas
• Mykolas Ruzgys
• Zenonas Puzinauskas
• Juozas Zukas
• Leonas Baltrunas
• Arturas Andrulis
• Pranas Talzunas
• Pranas Mazeika
• Vytautas Budriunas
• Romanas Brazdauskis
• Tomas Pacesas
• Tomas Masiulis
• Virginijus Praskevicius
• Andrius Jurkunas
• Renaldas Seibutis
• Dainius Salenga
• Vidas Ginevicius
• Darius Silinskis
• Zydrunas Ilgauskas
• Arvydas Sabonis
• Sarunas Marciulionis
• Sarunas Jasikevicius
• Mindaugas Lukauskis
• Donatas Zavackas
• Marijonas Petravicius
• Steponas Babrauskas
• Michailas Anisimovas
• Ramunas Siskauskas
• Kestutis Sestokas
• Linas Kleiza
• Darius Songaila
• Donatas Motiejunas

I can only assume you are talking about Finland.

In the fall of 1939, all three Baltic states all received demands from the Soviet Union to allow the establishment of military bases on the teritories of the four countries.

In addition to making the same demand of Finland, they also demanded territorial concessions of the Finns.

The three Baltic countries agreed while Finland refused and on November 30 1939, the Soviets attacked Finland.

The Finns did a fantastic job defending themselves against the Soviet hordes but by February of 1940 were close to collapse.

As a resultof this and pressure from western allies, Finland accepted Russias terms and the Moscow Peace Treaty, which ceded large areas of Finnish teritory to the Soviet Union, was signed on March 12, 1940.

What is unclear is why, with the defenders close to collapse, did the Soviet's, even if they got more than the territorial concessions they had originaly demanded, agree to the peace. While the Soviet troops on the ground were also close to collapse, the Soviets had reserves to draw on while the Finns did not.

Had the Soviets continued the offensive, they very likely would very quickly have taken the whole of the country.

One likely explanation is that Stalin did not know how low on ammunition and close to collapse the Finns were.

Another holds that Stalin viewed occupying Finland as being akin to "putting a hedgehog in his pocket".

Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania remained, nominally at least, free until June 1940 when the Soviets occupied the three baltic states and later illegaly annexed them.