Some are more formal than others but the weapon is often given a descriptive name in the respective language. The weapon most often known as Molotov cocktail goes under a great variety of other names around the globe. ĭespite the now infamous name, the formal Finnish military term for the weapon type was (and still is) actually "burn bottle" ( Finnish: polttopullo, Fenno-Swedish: brännflaska). When the hand-held bottle firebomb was developed to attack and destroy Soviet tanks, the Finns called it the "Molotov cocktail", as "a drink to go with his food parcels". As a result, the Finns sarcastically dubbed the Soviet incendiary cluster bombs " Molotov bread baskets" ( Finnish: Molotovin leipäkoreiksi) in reference to Molotov's propaganda broadcasts. 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). During World War II, Molotov cocktails were even factory produced in several countries, such as: Finland, Nazi Germany, Soviet Union, Sweden and the United States (see for example: M1 Frangible Grenade). Some examples of this being done are the anti-invasion preparations of the British Home Guard during WWII 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. Molotov cocktails are, however, 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. The Molotov cocktail (among several other names – see other names) 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 right: Original Finnish Molotov cocktail. 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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