Last day to win the Tri-country competition
Published 16 October, 2008, 13:27
RT gives you the chance to win exciting RT-branded memorabilia. All you have to do is read the tale below and answer the simple question: who are the three countries and when did the events take place?
The first five to answer correctly will receive a bundle of original RT souvenirs. Send your answers to feedback@rttv.ru from October 16 to 23 take part in the competition.
The names of the winners will be published on the website on October 24.
The Tale of the Three Countries by Grigory Emelyanov
Once upon a time, there was a Country. Let's be honest, it was Not The Biggest Country of them all. But democratic, apparently. Well, at least the president was definitely elected, and not picked at the Supreme Council of Great Shamans. So, the Country lived and didn't really get into anybody's hair.
It did sometimes squabble with its bigger neighbour, of whom the world community was rather apprehensive – you never know what might happen there, they're all savages. Unpredictable. Naturally, Not The Biggest Country was slowly arming itself, buying up everything that it could get its hands on. But what else could it do? The bigger neighbour was, after all, aggressive. And, again, savage. Anyway, everything could be okay, if it wasn't for one big albatross hung around Not The Biggest Country's neck. The albatross was an insurgent province, which the evil tongues of ideological opponents called an “independent state” for some reason. From now on, to make things easier, let's call the province “The Very Small Country”. And so, “on the day that will forever be covered in shame”, Not The Biggest Country decided to finally restore constitutional order in The Very Small Country. Not The Biggest Country's limited contingent entered The Very Small Country and took it in its iron fist. And it didn't take it by the feet or the head; it took it by the very heart – the fair city.
Not The Biggest Country started restoring order, which was, undoubtedly, constitutional. The Very Small Country's very limited contingent was, of course, answering with a snarl, but it was obvious – it couldn't just grin and bear it. And suddenly, The Very Big Country entered the scene. It took the independence of The Very Small Country very close to heart. The Very Big Country sent its perishing ally Everything It Had. Everything It Had shifted turrets and started zapping Not The Biggest Country's limited contingent with major caliber. The initiators of constitutional order could not resist the impressive might and started carefully falling back towards the vast expanses of their historic origins.
But the Very Big Country didn't rest at that! With armour-clad fists it hit its way deep into Not The Biggest Country, sweeping away mechanised divisions, trampling over artillery and wiping off air bases with strikes from above. All in all, it committed unprovoked aggression. And if only there were reasons for it! The Very Big Country's tanks rode around the vast expanses of Not The Biggest Country pointlessly. They didn't even overthrow the government (although they did give it the silent treatment). All they did was maybe give the locals a bit of a fright, burn a couple of wandering tanks here and there and hiked off into the distance. However, they did get hardwired to the Very Small Country, saying that they would definitely not go anywhere from there. They had to maintain its independence.
So, constitutional order wasn't restored, and not one generation will have to come and go before the Very Small Country (an insurgent province, according to Not The Biggest Country, remember) will rejoin Not The Biggest country at its own accord. Oh, and by the way, the world community never condemned the big aggressor.
And now, my most honourable history-lovers, here is the question:
Name Not The Biggest Country, the Very Small Country and, of course, the main aggressor, the Very Big Country, as well as the dates of these events. For extra brownie points you could also name the military operations described.
Have fun and remember to send your answers to feedback@rttv.ru
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