![]() The name's origin came from the propaganda Molotov produced during the Winter War, mainly his declaration on Soviet state radio that incendiary bombing missions over Finland were actually "airborne humanitarian food deliveries" for their "starving" neighbours. The name was a pejorative reference to Soviet foreign minister Vyacheslav Molotov, who was one of the architects of the Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact on the eve of World War II. The name "Molotov cocktail" was coined by the Finns during the Winter War ( Finnish: Molotovin cocktail) in 1939. During World War II, Molotov cocktails were even factory produced in several countries, such as: Finland, Nazi Germany, the Soviet Union, Sweden and the United States, some featuring specially designed frangible containers and fuses (such as the US Frangible Grenade M1 for example). Some examples of this being done are the anti-invasion preparations of the British Home Guard during World War II and the Ukrainian volunteer units during the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine. It is not uncommon for them to be mass-produced to a certain standard as part of preparation for combat. However, Molotov cocktails are not always improvised in the field. Despite its improvised and rebellious nature, many modern militaries exercise the use of Molotov cocktails. Their improvised usage spans from criminals, rioters, football hooligans, urban guerrillas, terrorists, irregular soldiers, freedom fighters, and even regular soldiers, in the latter case often due to a shortage of equivalent military-issued weapons. This ignites the flammable substances contained in the bottle and spreads flames as the fuel burns.ĭue to their relative ease of production, Molotov cocktails are typically improvised weapons. ![]() In use, the fuse attached to the container is lit and the weapon is thrown, shattering on impact. Lower right: Original Finnish Molotov cocktail with storm match attached.Ī Molotov cocktail (among several other names – see § Etymology) is a hand-thrown incendiary weapon constructed from a frangible container filled with flammable substances equipped with a fuse (typically a glass bottle filled with flammable liquids sealed with a cloth wick).Lower left: Military throwing practice of Molotov cocktail.Top right: Use of Molotov cocktails during a riot.Top left: Lit Molotov cocktail ready to be thrown.
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