History of the Molotov Cocktail from Nazi Germany to Ferguson | New Republic By Josh Kovensky August 18, 2014 In their tear-gassed standoffs with police in Ferguson, Missouri, some protesters have retaliated with the weapon of urban revolutionaries and improvisational militaries alike: the Molotov cocktail. Easy and cheap to make, the Molotov cocktail is thought to have been invented during the Spanish Civil War, where it was used by the Republicans against Nationalist tanks. The original design was a mixture of tar, ethanol, and gasoline in a beer bottle, creating a substance that's both sticky and flammable; either an oil-soaked rag or a long, wind-proof match is inserted into the bottle’s mouth to act as a wick. When the "bottle bomb" hits its target, the sticky mixture of fuel and flame ignite, causing a large fireball and coating whatever it hits with fire. But why is the weapon named after Vyacheslav Molotov, the Soviet foreign minister who signed the secret 1939 Nazi-Soviet non-aggression pact that heralded World War Two? The answer comes from Finland.

The Molotov-Ribbentrop pact divvied Europe up into “spheres of influence,” carving Poland into Nazi and Soviet territory, while ceding Finland to the Soviets, who had previously controlled it under the Russian Empire. In the winter of 1939, after seizing eastern Poland and leaving the country’s west to the Third Reich, the Soviets invaded Finland. Molotov (“Hammer” in Russian) then said in a speech, “Tomorrow we will dine in Helsinki!” After Soviet bombs began to fall on Finnish troops, Molotov insisted that the Soviets were dropping food and drink instead. Exhibiting a keen wit, the Finns thus dubbed Soviet cluster bombs “Molotov bread baskets” (the food) and named the improvised weapons that they were using against Soviet armor “Molotov cocktails" (the drink). The Finnish Alko corporation , a liquor conglomerate, mass-produced 450,000 Molotov cocktails during the war. The weapon proved instrumental in halting the Soviet advance toward the Finnish capital. The use of Molotov cocktails spread during the war, among Allied and Axis forces alike.

In 1940, as Nazis threatened to invade the United Kingdom, the British armed home guard units with the weapon as a form of civil defense. So Molotov, the war-mongering Bolshevik, ended up lending his name to a bomb known for its popularity in anti-Communist protests behind the Iron Curtain . Fast forward to today in the United States. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms considers Molotov cocktails a “destructive device” under the National Firearms Act . This does not mean that the weapon is banned—only that you must register your Molotov cocktail with the ATF. Of course, you will be prosecuted for hurling one at a police car. Correction: A previous version of this article described the Molotov cocktail as a "centuries-old weapon." In fact, it is believed to have been invented during the Spanish Civil War of the 1930s. Read More Sign up for your daily dose of politics, culture, and big ideas.

Sign Up Wine and Warfare part 14: The Molotov Cocktail Wine and Warfare part 14: The Molotov Cocktail 14th January, 2014 by Rupert Millar The fortunes of an army in battle or even a nation in arms are dependent on several factors; discipline, training, morale and technology being chief among them. A Finnish soldier with a Molotov Cocktail Since David and Goliath, one side has usually been mismatched on the technology front, sometimes the problem is overcome and the enemy vanquished, sometimes not. The action film stars of the 1980s could make weapons out of whatever bits of prop were lying around and when push came to shove real soldiers did the same. In the early days of the First World War, soldiers designed their own hand grenades using glass jars and empty tin of bully beef, though these were usually as dangerous to their operators as they were to the enemy. They constructed make-shift sling shots and catapaults to fling these unreliable projectiles further and crafted trench fighting tools that were brutal in purpose and appearance. The most famous makeshift weapon of them all though is the Molotov Cocktail.

The “poor man’s fire bomb” made an appearance during the Spanish Civil War when Franco’s Nationalists used them against Soviet supplied T-26 tanks in 1936. The Republicans, generally the most poorly equipped, were quick to adopt them too. The most famous name now used to describe all manner of improvised fire bombs however first reared its flaming head in the Winter War of 1939 between Russia and Finland. The Winter War was a tiny sideshow in the wider conflagration of the Second World War, the flames of which were only just beginning to grow. In 1939 the German foreign minister Joachim von Ribbentrop and his Soviet counterpart, Vyacheslav Molotov concluded an unholy alliance in the form of Nazi-Soviet pact. Finland had been part of Russia for just over a hundred years between 1809 and 1917 but the Finns had broken free in the chaos of the Russian Revolution. Three months after the start of the Second World War the Soviet Union invaded Finland following a diplomatic spat over territorial rights – demands which the Soviets knew Finland would reject giving them a pretext for war although the extent to which they intended to conquer Finland is debated.

Molotov (seated) signs the Nazi-Soviet Pact. Von Ribbentrop stands immediately behind him and Josef Stalin on the right. Outgunned and outmanned three to one, the Finns fought heroically often joking, “the enemy outnumber us a paltry three to one; good odds for any Finn” or, “They are so many, and our country is so small, where shall we find room to bury them all?” A small country without the industrial might of its neighbour, the Finnish population converted everything it could to war production. Short of anti-tank guns they turned instead to the production of fire bombs with which to combat the Soviet armour. To be truly effective a fire bomb had to deliver a decent amount of propellant onto its target, jam jars had been used in the Spanish Civil War but the Finns used bottles. The Finnish alcohol monopoly, Alko, converted its distilleries and bottling plants over to the mass production of fire bombs. It produced some 450,000 during the course of the short war. The Rajamäki distillery – which to this day bottles Finlandia vodka – was one of the key plants for the production of fire bombs.

At the start of the conflict the Soviets dropped cluster bombs on Finland which Molotov tried to claim in propaganda were actually food parcels. They became known to Finnish soldiers and civilians as Molotov’s “Bread Baskets”. When the Russian tanks rolled forward the Finnish troops took them on with their homemade firebombs. With the “Bread Baskets” dropping on their families, the Finns referred to their bombs as, “a drink to go with food”, and began to call them “Molotov Cocktails” – a payback for the Soviet minister’s “generous” gift of bread. Although they were produced at vodka distilleries, vodka was not the main propellant used (most soldiers would probably have begun drinking them if they were vodka based). The preferred mixture was ethanol, tar and gasoline – a rather less savoury, if more lethal, combination. They were surprisingly effective at knocking out the lightly armoured Soviet T26 tanks and the Finns used them to great effect, although it is likely one might have needed a good slug of vodka beforehand in order to use them at the short ranges required. The design of the Russian tanks also made these improvised weapons more lethal than they might otherwise have been.

The engine on the T26 was at the rear of the tank with cooling vents directly above it. A fire bomb lobbed onto the back deck would allow flaming kerosene to drip onto the engine below and detonate it. The Russians lost over 3,000 tanks during the war many of them to Molotov Cocktails. Finnish troops inspect a knocked-out Soviet T26 A British report in 1940 remarked: “The Finns’ policy was to allow the Russian tanks to penetrate their defences, even inducing them to do so by ‘canalising’ them through gaps and concentrating their small arms fire on the infantry following them.

The tanks that penetrated were taken on by gun fire in the open and by small parties of men armed with explosive charges and petrol bombs in the forests and villages… “The essence of the policy was the separation of the armoured fighting vehicles from the infantry, as once on their own the tank has many blind spots and once brought to a stop can be disposed of at leisure.” Sadly for Finland, weight of Soviet numbers began to tell and they were finally defeated by March 1940, though not before they’d inflicted nearly four times as many casualties on the Russians as the Russians had on them – good odds indeed. For the Molotov Cocktail though the story was just getting started. Tank armour got thicker throughout the war which diminished their use as anti-tank weapons but used as anti-personnel weapons they caused appalling burns and one thrown into a street on to an advancing enemy could cause chaos. Their use was taken up by the British Home Guard and the Polish Home army when it tackled the Germans in the streets of Warsaw in the doomed uprising of 1944.

The Russians themselves, having learned to fear them during the Winter War, used them against the Nazis in 1941 and the fire bomb became a useful weapon in their terrible struggle at Stalingrad – a fight where, as in the First World War, constant contact with the enemy wore the combatants down mentally and physically. Neither side gave much quarter and men began to drink heavily as the fighting grew ever more savage. Soviet troops in particular picked up a taste for booze leading one Red Army officer to comment that they would have been in Berlin two years earlier if it hadn’t been for the amount of vodka they were drinking. Having been used in a great many conflicts since the end of the Second World War, today, the Molotov is the weapon of choice of the urban guerrilla and is still seen on television screens across the world in political disturbances and revolutions from Athens to Cairo and Baghdad and from San Salvador to Belfast and Bangkok. The Anti-Nazi History of the Molotov Cocktail The Anti-Nazi History of the Molotov Cocktail 517 Share What's This?

An anti-government protester 'Red Shirt' throws a Molotov cocktail toward Thai security forces as the violence in central Bangkok continues on May 16, 2010 in Bangkok, Thailand. Image: Athit Perawongmetha/Getty Images Josh Kovensky for The New Republic 2014-08-19 18:15:12 UTC Follow @tnr In their tear-gassed standoffs with police in Ferguson, Missouri, some protesters have retaliated with that centuries-old weapon of urban revolutionaries and improvisational militaries alike: the Molotov cocktail. Easy and cheap to make, the Molotov cocktail is thought to have been invented during the Spanish Civil War, where it was used by the Republicans against Nationalist tanks. The original design was a mixture of tar, ethanol, and gasoline in a beer bottle, creating a substance that's both sticky and flammable; either an oil-soaked rag or a long, wind-proof match is inserted into the bottle’s mouth to act as a wick. When the "bottle bomb" hits its target, the sticky mixture of fuel and flame ignite, causing a large fireball and coating whatever it hits with fire.

But why is the weapon named after Vyacheslav Molotov, the Soviet foreign minister who signed the secret 1939 Nazi-Soviet non-aggression pact that heralded World War Two? The answer comes from Finland. The Molotov-Ribbentrop pact divvied Europe up into “spheres of influence,” carving Poland into Nazi and Soviet territory, while ceding Finland to the Soviets, who had previously controlled it under the Russian Empire. In the winter of 1939, after seizing eastern Poland and leaving the country’s west to the Third Reich, the Soviets invaded Finland. Molotov (“Hammer” in Russian) then said in a speech, “Tomorrow we will dine in Helsinki!” After Soviet bombs began to fall on Finnish troops, Molotov insisted that the Soviets were dropping food and drink instead. Exhibiting a keen wit, the Finns thus dubbed Soviet cluster bombs “Molotov bread baskets” (the food) and named the improvised weapons that they were using against Soviet armor “Molotov cocktails" (the drink). The Finnish Alko corporation , a liquor conglomerate, mass-produced 450,000 Molotov cocktails during the war.

The weapon proved instrumental in halting the Soviet advance toward the Finnish capital. The use of Molotov cocktails spread during the war, among Allied and Axis forces alike. In 1940, as Nazis threatened to invade the United Kingdom, the British armed home guard units with the weapon as a form of civil defense. So Molotov, the war-mongering Bolshevik, ended up lending his name to a bomb known for its popularity in anti-Communist protests behind the Iron Curtain. Fast forward to today in the United States. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms considers Molotov cocktails a “destructive device” under the National Firearms Act . This does not mean that the weapon is banned—only that you must register your Molotov cocktail with the ATF. Of course, you will be prosecuted for hurling one at a police car. FINNISH ARMY 1918 - 1945: INFANTRY AT-WEAPONS PART 1 Molotov Cocktail Using fire as a weapon is an ancient invention and this use had continued in more or less refined forms for ages. Filling bottles with easily flammable liquid and throwing enemy with them was not new in any way either.

In fact such incendiary bottles had also been used as antitank weapon at least in Second Abyssinian War (1935 - 1936) and Spanish Civil War (1936 - 1939). However, generally speaking earlier petrol bombs were very simple compared to refined Finnish factory-produced versions. When petrol bombs had been used in Abyssinia they had been simply filled with alcohol or petrol and had been used by first throwing the bottle and then throwing burning piece of fabric tied to stick after it. With this method it was necessary for both throws to hit the target to achieve the required result. Petrol bombs of Spanish Civil War were simpler to use then the ones earlier used in Abyssinia. The bottles used there were still alcohol or petrol filled, but now a piece of fabric was usually tied to the bottle and was just set on fire before throwing. Thanks to this now the target needed to be to hit only once. The first unit to use petrol bombs as antitank weapons in Spanish Civil War was Spanish Foreign Legion fighting in Nationalist side in autumn of 1936. PICTURE: Finnish Molotov cocktail with storm matches.

Time has made its thing and the mix is no longer well mixed up - when new, the colour of mix was black. If the mix in this particular bottle is the real thing the reason for the discoloration is tar getting settled on bottom of the bottle. Notice that the storm matches have been isolated from the glass bottle by putting pieces of tape between them - this was made because heat of the burning matches could otherwise crack the glass bottle prematurely. (Photo taken in Panssarimuseo). CLICK THUMBNAIL TO SEE LARGER PIC (82 KB). By late 1930's Finnish military had become aware that infantry needed some sort of antitank weaponry of its own. Finnish military intended to acquire antitank rifles for this use, but as introducing them was delayed also other alternatives were considered. Some Finns had considered petrol-bombs already early on, like for example Sergeant Major Johan Valli from PPP 2 (Bicycle Battalion 2) - he tested petrol-bomb like weapon already in year 1932. But it was Captain (later: Major) Eero Kuittinen with his modest and unofficial development team, who can be really credited for development of Finnish molotov cocktail.

Nobody had given Kuittinen or his team any orders for doing such development work and the whole thing seem to have started from their own idea. During spring of 1937 Kuittinen with help of his friend merchant Väinö Hannula and three 2nd Lieutenants started developing new version based to the petrol bombs reportedly used in Spanish Civil War. The first version they tested was simple bottle filled with petrol and piece of cotton waste tied into it, but this proved less than ideal. The main problems of this simple petrol bomb were: The liquid (just petrol) did not stick to target, but flowed away too easily. Burning cotton waste made person throwing the bottle highly visible and therefore too very easy to spot. Adding pine tar to mix (about 10 - 20 cl for each half-liter bottle) proved good solution to first problem, since it not only made mix to stick target, but created mixture that created quite a bit of smoke. Additional bonuses of this mix were that the fire became more long lasting and burned with higher temperature.

Two ignition methods for setting the liquid on fire were developed: "Storm match" solution: Match factory in town of Lahti manufactured 12-cm long sparklers called "storm matches" (also known as "Bengal matches" in some countries), once lit these burned about 60 seconds. Two "storm matches" were simply taped to opposite sides of bottle with insulating tape and once the matches were lit, soldier with the molotov cocktail had about 60 seconds to throw it. Also Engineer Salomaa from match factory participated in tests of this ignition system. Kuittinen and his development team seem to have succeeded completing developing the basic version of molotov cocktail equipped with "storm matches", by spring of 1939. Later during Winter War this particular version became the most commonly used in molotov cocktail version in use of Finnish military - around 80% of molotov cocktails manufactured during Winter War used this ignition method. Use of this version probably ended by end of Winter War. Long fragile glass ampoule filled with self-igniting material (sulphuric acid or white phosphorus in carbon disulphide) installed inside the bottle.

As the glass bottle broke also the fragile glass ampoule inside it broke down and its contents set the liquid on fire. This ignition method was designed by Finnish Defence Ministry Planning Office during Winter War. It is also possible that this ignition method may have been originally brain-child of A.I. Virtanen (famous Finnish chemist and recipient of Nobel price in year 1945), who got the idea from fuses used in old Russian naval mines. Molotov cocktail equipped with this ignition was commonly known as "A-pullo" ("A-bottle"). About 20% of molotov cocktails manufactured during Winter War already had this ignition method and it seems to have become the standard ignition method for Finnish molotov cocktails manufactured after Winter War. Wartime reports suggest that A-bottles had some problems concerning difficulty for inserting the ampoule and for it to set the liquid on fire during cold weather, but apparently this was not an issue during mild weather. PICTURE: Another sample of Finnish Molotov cocktail with storm matches. Notice also the metal wire used to further secure the storm matches.

Colour of liquid is off in this bottle either - either the original has been replaced or some chemical process had changed the colour from original black to something to this yellow with brownish layer in bottom of the bottle. (Photo taken in Sotamuseo). CLICK THUMBNAIL TO SEE LARGER PIC (43 KB). Also Riihimäki glass factory had its part in development team of Finnish molotov cocktail, as it delivered several bottle types for testing of molotov cocktails. Bottles made especially for the purpose were also tested. But in these tests the normal 500-ml (half-litre) glass bottle taken to production in 1934 for strong alcohol drinks proved to the most successful design for the purpose and became the standard bottle used in mass-production of molotov cocktails. The bottle was glass bottle 26.5 centimeters high with diameter of 6.8 centimeters. The cork used early on was aluminium with seal capsule, later it was replaced with bakelite cork. When the bottles were mass-produced with semiautomatic and full-automatic machinery manufacturing them in large quantities was both cheap and easy.

How did the first official version of molotov cocktail (the "storm match"-version) spread to knowledge of Finnish soldiers? It may have been included already to short manuals of Engineer Corps in January or February of 1939. What is known for a certain is that it was included to manual called "Pion. Tekn. ohjeita N:o 1" (Sapper Technical Instructions number 1) published in August of 1939. However it being mentioned in some manual does not equal for it being common knowledge. The grand majority of Finnish soldiers did not become familiar with this new weapon first known as "polttopullo" (literally translated: "burning bottle") until during Winter War. Before the war Finnish military had planned to manufacture molotov cocktails by hand in few small plants reserved for this. Few weeks before breaking out of Winter War Finnish military started making preparations for molotov cocktail production by buying large amounts of glass bottles for this purpose. Finnish military had organised five bottling plants of its own for the work. These were presumably somewhat similar as one located in Sorvali near Viipuri.

In Sorvali plant 40 women were manufacturing molotov cocktails to 2nd Army Corps under leadership of 2nd Lieutenant Kauko Lehtonen. But as the war started the shear volume of needed molotov cocktails proved overwhelming for these small plans to manufacture them. However, buying empty alcohol bottles in large-scale got Alko (Finnish alcohol monopoly, state owned company, which was the only company allowed to manufacture or sell hard liquor in Finland) interested. This interest lead to fruitful co-operation between Alko and Finnish Army as Alko's bottling plants had several production lines with highly effective bottle filling machinery. This machinery was able to fill tens of thousands of molotov cocktails per day. Once Finnish military became aware of this possibility of using Alko's bottling plant for the molotov cocktail production, Finnish Defence Minister Juho Niukkanen effectively cut the red tape by directly ordering Alko to bottle 40,000 bottles with molotov cocktail mix immediately. Rajamäki plant of Alko hired 87 women plus 5 men and started making molotov cocktails 24-hours a day.

This first order of 40,000 molotov cocktails was filled in only couple of days and the first deliveries from Rajamäki plant seem to have arrived to frontline in first part of December 1939. Other parts of manufacturing process were done in Vuorela hill and in town of Riihimäki. Finnish troops suffered from shortage of better antitank weapons, but thanks to Alko's Riihimäki bottling plant and other parts of production line Finnish troops in least had enough molotov cocktails in their disposal. During Winter War Alko's Rajamäki plant filled 542,194 bottles with molotov cocktail mix. Also other smaller plants manufactured molotov cocktails, but even their combined production numbers were very small compared to this one large bottling plant. Liquids and mixes used in molotov cocktails during Winter War: Petrol + tar Waste alcohol + kerosene + tar Sulfate-turpentine During production molotov cocktail mix was developed and tested further.

The winning mix, which became the standard mix of molotov cocktails manufactured in Alko's Rajamäki bottling plant was: 60 % potassium chlorate 32 % pine tar 8 % noulee According pre-war instructions of Finnish Army the preferred method for using molotov cocktail was throwing it to front armour of the tank and blinding the tank with smoke produced by burning molotov cocktail mix (idea that this improved changes of using satchel charge or mine to destroy tank). But Finnish soldiers soon realised that top of tank's engine was much better target. Tanks that the Soviets commonly used in Winter War had petrol engines and openings upwards from engine room. Molotov cocktail thrown on rear deck of tank spilled its liquid on top of the hot engine through these openings, if the mix was not in fire already then the hot engine set it on fire. Tank engine rooms being what they were, tanks engine being Soviet "quality" and Soviet tankers maintaining the tanks being who they were, the tanks engine room had grease, petrol, oil, rubber hoses and other materials which molotov cocktail also set on fire.

As if loosing engine in fire was not enough, in some Soviet tanks (like T-26 series) air intake system led fire from the engine bay right to area where the crew was located. When this happened the tank crew was forced to take unhappy choice: Either to burn death inside the tank or get out fast and face Finnish infantry waiting for them to pop out. PICTURE: Drawing showing parts of tank, which Finnish soldiers usually targeted with molotov cocktails. The tank in the drawing is T-26 , which was found especially vulnerable to molotov cocktail attack due to its structural design. CLICK THUMBNAIL TO SEE LARGER PIC (42 KB). Molotov cocktail proved effective weapon against Soviet tanks in Finnish hands when introduced to use in early December of 1939. It was not a super-weapon and did not change the course of war, but at least it gave Finnish infantry lacking other antitank-support something to fight against enemy tanks. And in many situations having at least something to hit back with, is what makes the true difference for fighting moral.

In reality even during Winter War molotov cocktails were mostly used for demolishing tanks that had already been knocked out with other weapons - once a tank was successfully set on fire with molotov cocktail, repairing it became so difficult that it was usually no longer a practical choice. Using weapon such as molotov cocktails against tanks was both difficult and dangerous. Getting with-in throwing distance from enemy tank demanded Finnish infantry to get very close to enemy tanks, so more cover the terrain offered, easier this sort of weapon was to use. Open terrain and daylight were less favorable conditions for their use. The Soviets also learned some lessons and adjusted their tactics: If their tanks succeeded getting behind Finnish trenches at daytime, they soon learned to return their own lines before nightfall - and attack of Finnish infantry using cover of darkness. Their tanks also started covering each other and tried to avoid going too close Finnish trenches or terrain that offered too many good hiding places for Finnish infantry. Later on the Soviets even tried increasing changes of molotov cocktail not breaking by adding tree branches or wire mesh on top of their tanks.

In this minor arms race the Finnish soldiers responded adding two or three stones connected with strings to bottle of molotov cocktail to make sure that it always shattered on impact and added some barb-wire around the bottle made sure it stuck to mesh. During Winter War the weapon got its famous name "molotov cocktail", however its not certain if the term was Finnish invention or invented by foreign journalists working in Finland during the war. Some sources also suggest that the name may have originated from Professor Alvar Wilska, who took part in further developing of molotov cocktail during Winter War. In either case the person it was named after was no other than Soviet foreign Minister Vjatseslav Molotov, concerning whom the Finns had less than favorable opinion. It is worth noting that after Molotov had publicly claimed during Winter War that Soviet bombers, which were bombing Finnish cities were not dropping bombs but bread to feed hungry population, the Finns named incendiary bomb container that the Soviets were using in their bombing raids as "Molotov's bread basket". Molotov cocktail remained as part of Finnish antitank weaponry also for Continuation War, but saw much less use as antitank-weapon even early on.

New Soviet tanks introduced after Winter War were far less vulnerable to molotov cocktails than their predecessors. Already T-28 medium tanks had proved to be difficult to destroy with molotov cocktails. New Soviet diesel-engine equipped tanks like KV-series and T-34 proved so difficult to destroy with this weapon, that other weapons started completely replacing molotov cocktail in practical use. First satchel charges and occasinally also antitank-mines were used for the purpose, until year 1944 Panzerfaust started replacing them as well. During World War 2 Finnish Army introduced also a training tool version of molotov cocktail, which was size and shape of the 500-milliliter glass bottle used for molotov cocktails. But instead of glass it was made from wood and reinforced with iron bands to survive being repeatedly thrown against hard surface. This training tool version was also partially filled with lead and weight about 900 grams. Information from successful Finnish use of molotov-cocktails was widely published by international press during Winter War, which probably influenced to some other countries, which also added molotov cocktails to their antitank weaponry.

Molotov cocktails developed and/or used by some other countries during World War 2: Britain: Petrol bomb: British 1940 development intended mainly for Home Guard used edged whisky bottle and strap of film or rag tied around the neck of the bottle as method of ignition. Germany: Brandflasche: Glass bottle 25-cm high and 7-cm wide filled with mix of flame-thrower fuel (one third) and gasoline (two thirds). Industrially mass-produced. Brand hand grenade 48/57: Glass container filled with half-a-litre of mix made from benzone and gasoline. Also mass produced. Soviet Union: Soviets officially introduced molotov cocktail in their weaponry in November of 1941. They used multitude of glass bottles (0,5 - 0,75 litre water/beer bottles) with large variety of ignition methods ("storm match" like, glass ampoule, metallic ignition system, self-igniting liquid etc...). Apparently the most common versions were filled with self-igniting KS-liquid.

Sokaisupullo M/44 (Blinding Bottle M/44) Idea of special incendiary bottle designed specifically to create as much as smoke as possible had existed already during developing of molotov cocktail, but at that time there had been no resources available for this development work. Hence this special version of molotov cocktails wasn't introduced until years later during Continuation War. Unlike bottle used in molotov cocktail blinding bottle had its own special bottle shaped specifically to give better grip for throwing. This special bottle also had bottom design similar to ones used in Champaigne bottles and inside bottle in middle of bottom was place for glass ampoule filled with self-igniting (acid-like) material. Factory "Riihimäen Lasi Oy" manufactured the bottles for this purpose. Method used with this weapon was simply to throw the bottle against front hull of enemy tank, after this the black smoke produced by burning liquid would momentarily engulf front of the tank in thick smore make destroying the tank with other weapons much easier, since the tank crew was no longer able to observe what was happening outside. The blinding bottles were delivered in cardboard carrying boxes, which each contained 3 bottles.

Larger transport boxes each contained 5 carrying boxes (in other words: 15 bottles per transport box). The self-igniting ampoules were transported in separate boxes, which each contained 20 ampoules. PICTURE: Perfect hit - blinding bottle m/44 is being tested against KV-1 E model 1940 Ps. 272-1 in Enso, April of 1944. (SA-kuva photo archive, photo number 148991). CLICK THUMBNAIL TO SEE LARGER PIC (171 KB). Satchel Charge / Antitank Hand Grenade The basic principle of satchel charge was no longer new during World War 2 either. Using packages of explosives against armoured vehicles was just expansion of the previous methods. In its most primitive form satchel charge could be just bundle of explosives (like dynamite) detonated with fuse wire detonator. German Army had used bundles of stick hand grenades as antitank weapons already during World War 1 and the Finns seem to have been familiar with this.

Reportedly Finnish White Army had used bundles of German stick hand grenades for demolition during Finnish Civil War in year 1918 and using these grenade bundles against armoured vehicles appears also in Finnish military training manuals such as Käsigranaatit (Hand grenades) published year in 1925. So, Finnish military was aware of these grenade bundles and their use already before domestic development of satchel charge begun and it seems plausible that grenade-bundle may in fact have served as starting point for satchel charge development. In fact during Winter War there were still few cases in which Finnish troops lacking any other available antitank weapons were still using bundles of stick hand grenades for ad hoc antitank-weapons. Year 1936 Captain Kaarlo Tuurna serving in Engineer Battalion (Pioneeripataljoona) started testing explosive charges against armour. He came to conclusion that 500 grams of TNT (trinitrotoluene) was enough to break 12-mm thick armour plate if pressed against it. The conclusion was that satchel charge with explosive charge corresponding 800 grams of TNT was the smallest practical useful explosive charge size for antitank-grenade to be used against armoured vehicles.

This was closely equal to bundle of six old German M/1916 stick hand grenades: 6 x stick hand grenade M/16 á 125 grams of TNT = 750 grams of TNT In many countries (like Germany) the basic satchel charge did not develop beyond this bundle of "potato smashers" (stick) hand grenades, but in Finland this served merely as the starting point of development which ultimately resulted mass-production of industrially manufactured satchel charges. Finnish infantry used satchel charges both in Winter War and Continuation War in huge numbers. It is worth noting that Finnish military had two separate but equally popular names for this weapon - kasapanos (satchel charge) and hyökkäsvaunukäsikranaatti (anti-tank hand grenade), which was often abbreviated to simply as Hv-käsikranaatti. Both of these names had official status and were used in equal manner, sometimes even in the same individual document.

Finnish satchel charges can be roughly divided to two categories: A) Factory-made satchel charges: Total weight (with fuse): 4.26 kg Length of whole satchel charge: 38.0 cm Size of metal box containing TNT-charge: 10.8 cm x 16.0 cm x 17.0 cm Length of of (stick hand grenade) handle: 21.0 cm PICTURE: Drawing showing parts of tank, which Finnish soldiers preferred to target with satchel charges. Back deck on top of the engine was usual main target, but tank could also immobilised by throwing satchel charge on top or under its track. CLICK THUMBNAIL TO SEE LARGER PIC (28 KB). During Winter War Finnish military also observed effects of various satchel charges used in battle. As a result Chief of Engineers reported Finnish General HQ following in February of 1940: 2-kg satchel charge: Effective against armoured vehicles weighting less or around 6 tons (All Soviet armoured cars and amphibious tanks).

3-kg satchel charge: Effective against armoured vehicles weighting less or around 12 tons ( T-26 series and BT-series tanks ) 4-kg satchel charge: Effective against armoured vehicles weighting less or around 30 ton ( T-28 medium tanks ). During early Winter War Finns also tried satchel charges with sheet metal boxes, which had their long sides coated with special glue. The idea of this was to improve the changes of satchel charges to stay on top of armour plate. The glue-coated parts of these charges were protected with pieces of plywood, which were to be removed just before use. However the battle-use soon revealed that this whole idea was far from practical: In battlefield the glue could easily become dirty (after which it did not really stick to anything) or it could get stick to wrong objects (like clothing of the soldier trying to use it). Also using these satchel charges without removing the pieces of plywood apparently reduced effect of their explosion. So, ultimately this idea proved so impractical that it was soon buried and Finnish military returned back using only satchel charges, which had no glue. PICTURE: Inert training version of satchel charge.

Handle section used in this one seem to be from German stick hand grenade Sa/24 (Stielhandgranade 24). The "warhead" has been made from wood, reinforced with metal bands and could be loaded with a banger (small explosive charge designed to only cause loud bang). This sort of inert versions were standard issue items used for training of antitank-personnel. (Photo taken in Sotamuseo). CLICK THUMBNAIL TO SEE LARGER PIC (78 KB). Another more successful improvement adopted during production were small metal hooks in front parts of sheet metal box. When Soviets had started covering their tanks with tree branches and wire mesh the hooks improved changes for the satchel charge to get stuck in them. At the same time the hooks made carrying of satchel charges easier as satchel charges could now been hung to a belt or leather strap. PICTURE: Four Finnish satchel charges - probably 2 kilogram, 3 kilogram, 4 kilogram and inert training version. Notice the two in the middle (2 kg and 3 kg versions) having the previously mentioned hooks, while the 4 kg version in the back lacks them.

The green painted training version has its "warhead" made from wood and has hole where a banger could be inserted for training use. (Photo taken in Jalkaväkimuseo). CLICK THUMBNAIL TO SEE LARGER PIC (130 KB). B) "Home-made" satchel charges: These were satchel charges build by soldiers for their own use or use of their own unit. Especially engineer units distinguished themselves in building these when needed. When compared to factory-made ones these varied more in sizes both directions (Typically homemade satchel charges covered all sizes between 1 - 6 kg). The basic explosive used in home-made satchel charges was TNT (trinitrotoluene), which was the most powerful easy-to-use explosive commonly available in large amounts for Finnish military during World War 2. The detonation mechanisms varied from charge to charge, but as hand grenade handle & detonator was suitable it was often used also in home-made satchel chages. If handle & detonator parts of stick hand grenade were not used, then usually wooden handle was made and attached to the charge to throwing it easier.

Early on 1-kg satchel charge was found to be handy weapon for storming trenches and capable of damaging tank track when used skilfully. Large 6-kg satchel charges were effective even against the most heavily armoured Soviet tanks. PICTURE: Crude Finnish "home-made" satchel charge built by tying 4 large bricks of TNT around Finnish stick hand grenade M/32. (Photo taken in Panssarimuseo). CLICK THUMBNAIL TO SEE LARGER PIC (25 KB). PICTURE: Another slightly more sophisticated sample of Finnish "home-made" satchel charge. Some TNT bundled together around Finnish stick hand grenade M/41 and tied as a package with paper and thin metal wire. (Photo taken in Sotamuseo). CLICK THUMBNAIL TO SEE LARGER PIC (50 KB). Experiences and development: Development of Soviet tanks effected also to Finnish production of satchel charges. When Soviet tank production focused into manufacturing of medium and heavy tanks 2-kg factory-manufactured satchel charge became outdated as antitank-weapon, but still remained useful while fighting the enemy in trenches and as a basic demolition charge.

At the same time 3-kg and 4-kg satchel charges remained useful against tanks. When it comes to largest factory-manufactured satchel charges 5-kg version was apparently popular against bunkers and even if 6-kg satchel charge proved somewhat clumsy, it still remained in production until end of the war. The last version of Finnish industrially manufactured satchel charge was a completely design planned with intent of replacing various versions of satchel charge with one satchel charge design on which the size of explosive charge was adjustable. This new satchel charge design was did not appear until late 1944. Handle section of stick hand grenade was still used in the design and explosives were packed into containers made from sheet metal. But now its warhead contained series of metal containers each had screw section in middle of them. In addition each warhead section had its own separate detonator (containing tetryl and compressed TNT) that the stick hand grenade handle section would detonate. Each section of warhead contained 1.5 kilograms of TNT.

The design allowed frontline soldiers to easily assemble a satchel charge of required size from these components by attaching stick hand grenade handle section to suitable number of warhead sections. The resulting practically possible options were 1.5-kg, 3-kg, 4.5-kg and 6-kg satchel charges. Documents suggest that this design was introduced so late that it never entered mass production, with probably only 50 prototypes being ever manufactured. Even if the satchel charges were industrially manufactured Finnish troops were still improvising "home-made" versions when needed. One sample of this were 2.4-kg, 3.2-kg and 4.8-kg satchel charges built by troops of Armour Division from captured 400-gram Soviet TNT bricks in year 1944. In this case the explosives were packaged with plywood, iron clamps and tar paper. SOURCES: Eero-Eetu Saarinen: Pioneerijoukkojen historia 1918 - 1968. Military manual: Käsikranaatit ja kiväärikranaatit. Printed in 1926. Military manual: P.

Huhtala: Jalkaväen ryhmänjohtaja, Opas nuorelle upseerille. Printed in 1932. Military Manual: Upseerien ja aliupseerien kertaus- ja jatko-opiskelukirja. Printed in 1942. Military manual: Jalkaväen Ampumatarvikkeet II by Puolustusvoimien Pääesikunta Taisteluvälineosasto. Military manual: Sokaisupullo/44 (Kss. 1041) (printed 1944) Military manual: Väliaikainen pst.yksiköitten harjoitustekninen koulutusopas. (printed 1940) Heinz Guderian: Achtung - Panzer! Anthony Beevor: The Spanish Civil War Article of Keijo Heinonen: Kuka keksi "Molotovin cocktailin?" (Who invented the Molotov Cocktail?) in Asehistoriallinen aikakauskirja 24 (Journal of Military History 24).

Article: Molotovin Cocktail eli polttopullo by Esko O. Toivanen in Ase-lehti magazine vol 4/96. Article: Köyhän miehen pst-ase, Molotovin cocktail by Robert Brandtberg in Ase-lehti magazine 2/2010. Article: Sokaisupullo m/44, jatkosodan sotalasia by Esko O. Toivanen in Ase-lehti magazine vol 3/98. Article: Panssarintorjunta-aseet by Lauri Harvila in Kansa Taisteli magazine vol 10/1976. Finnish National Archives (Sörnäinen), archive folder T19052. Finnish National Archives (Sörnäinen), archive folder T23392. Special thanks to Panssarimuseo (Finnish Armour Museum), Parola. Special thanks to Sotamuseo (Finnish Military Museum), Helsinki. Special thanks to Jalkaväkimuseo (Finnish Infantry Museum), Mikkeli.

Last updated 14th of August 2016 Webmaster: JTV jtvalias@hotmail.com Copyrights (pictures, text and graphics): Jaeger Platoon Website. The Bridge January 22, 2016 What can we learn from a group of outnumbered and outgunned Finns in the mid-20th century? The Molotov cocktail is one of the most visible icons of civil resistance in the modern age. Whether it is on the streets of Kyiv, Athens, or the latest site of any G20 meeting, the Molotov cocktail is one of the variables modern media will seize on to determine whether a mass demonstration is a protest or a riot. The image of fires burning and bottles being hurled through the air are eye-catching because they are asymmetric, providing average civilians with potent lethality to challenge even the most heavily-armed riot police. Although the Molotov cocktail is now synonymous with Leftist agitation, this great equalizer actually got its name as a mocking jest to one of the largest names in Communism. The drama all began 76 years ago in the forests of Finland.

The invasion of Finland began on 30 November 1939 (Wikimedia Commons) On 30 November 1939, the Soviet Union sent 600,000 troops across its northern borders into Finland. Following the infamous Nazi-Soviet non-aggression pact of 23 August 1939 (also known as the Molotov-Ribbentrop pact), the Soviets were given free rein to carve a sphere of influence in Eastern and Northern Europe in areas traditionally part of the former Russian Empire. The Soviets successfully put boots on the ground in the Baltic States in September and, once complete, turned their attention northward. Finland was in a better position than the Baltic States to resist Soviet aggression; it had more people, more weapons, and the Mannerheim Line of fortifications along its arboreal borders. But even with the knowledge that war might be coming, Finland could only muster a fifth of the manpower and a fraction of the modern weaponry of the USSR and had little advanced weaponry to defeat Soviet tanks. When the Soviets crossed the border in late November, their military planners anticipated a war would last for only a week or two.

It lasted until March in no small part because of the Molotov cocktail. The Molotov cocktail is an elegantly simple weapon, needing only a bottle and some flammable materials like gasoline or tar. Using either a basic fuse or even an old rag, a soldier sets the end on fire and hurls the weapon so the force of impact will shatter the glass and ignite the flammable materials inside. While the weapon was first employed during the Spanish Civil War in 1936, the Winter War was where it first became truly famous. It is also when the weapon got its modern name. The Finns sarcastically named it for the Soviet Foreign Minister, Vyacheslev Molotov, after he claimed Soviet bombers were dropping food aid to starving children in Helsinki. The Molotov cocktail was the perfect accompaniment to “Molotov’s bread baskets.” A Finnish soldier armed with a Molotov cocktail (Wikimedia Commons) How could such a simple weapon be so useful against the Soviet war machine? The answer lies in World War II-era tanks. Much like their World War I counterparts, tanks ofthat time needed ventilation to allow the crew to breathe.

Rather than attacking the tank itself, the cocktail’s incendiary brew attacked the men inside. Flames were difficult to stamp out in the cramped spaces of the tank and there was no way to escape the heat. Russian tanks hit with these weapons were not destroyed but rendered temporarily unusable. Once the tank crews were outside their protective shell, they were just as vulnerable as any other infantry to the ambushes the Finns laid across the rest of the front. In this way, the Finns could effectively neutralize Soviet tanks for pennies on the dollar. The Molotov cocktail was by no means a perfect weapon. The drawback to this approach is obvious: Molotov cocktails could only be effective if a Finnish soldier could get within throwing distance of a Soviet tank and hit a small target area to ensure the explosion affected the crew. There was only one way to employ the weapon: soldiers had to be especially clever and brave to get close enough to a tank, throw the weapon, and then get away before getting shot either by the tank or its escorts. Finland ultimately sued for peace in early March of 1940 after the Soviets broke through the Mannerheim Line and penetrated deep into the country.

The Soviet “victory” was Pyrrhic at best: they had to fire their wartime generals, obtained minimal territorial concessions, and took 300,000 casualties. The myth of Soviet military sophistication was shattered, and the Nazis accelerated their own secret invasion plans of the Soviet Union. These titanic events were only possible because a ragtag group of Finnish soldiers could hold off Soviet armor with Molotov cocktails. Lessons Learned: Asymmetry is not a new phenomenon: While it is popular now to highlight asymmetric warfare as a defining characteristic of the modern battlefield, the Molotov cocktail case study shows that asymmetry always has been, and likely will always be, a hallmark of warfighting. Be prepared for battlefield innovations that will damage your expensive, specialized equipment for pennies on the dollar. Be creative when framing requirements: The Molotov cocktail was a brilliant innovation for Finland because it addressed one of their crucial requirements: neutralizing Soviet tanks. The ingenuity comes from the fact that they framed their military problem as how to stop a tank versus how to destroy a tank. This distinction is minor but important.

Focusing on stopping a tank is much broader and thus can elicit different kinds of solutions than focusing on how to penetrate a tank’s armor. Beware of functional fixedness : Functional fixedness is a psychological phenomenon that explains why humans are predisposed to assuming an object only has a single use. For example, it is easy to see a hammer as tool just to hit nails and not as an impromptu paperweight or doorstop. In the case of the Molotov cocktail, this ability to overcome functional fixedness allowed the Finns to see the value of both the weapon itself and to recognize a meaningful way national distilleries could play in the war effort. Matthew Merighi is a Master of Arts candidate at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University. He is also the Director of Publications at the Center for International Maritime Security, the host of the Sea Control: North America podcast, and the author of the Lessons from History series. Matthew tweets at @mattmerighi . Have a response or an idea for your own article? Follow the logo below, and you too can contribute to The Bridge: Enjoy what you just read? Please help spread the word to new readers by sharing it on social media.

Header Image: A protester on the streets of Kyiv, Ukraine on 18 February 2014 | Wikimedia Commons When Finns & Snow Killed the Soviets - 8 Things You Need To Know About The Winter War - Page 2 of 2 Continued from Page 1 5. The Finns Fight Back The defence of Finland was a classic example of what a smaller, less well-equipped army could achieve with courage, ingenuity and knowledge of local conditions. The Finns initially undertook a fighting retreat, giving them time to prepare defensive lines deeper in the country. They used guerrilla tactics and skillfully concentrated their forces to attack Soviet troops that outnumbered them as much as twelve to one in some areas. Pockets of Russian forces were isolated, surrounded and then destroyed. Finnish tactics adapted to the weather, the enemy forces, and the limitations of their own supplies. Troops on skis were able to move far more quickly and comfortably than the Soviet infantry, regularly out maneuvering them. Bullets were scavenged from fallen enemies, helping to make up for the shortfall. Russian tank’s tracks were jammed with improvised devices to halt their advance.

The Molotov cocktail became the signature weapon of the war, so popular with Finnish troops that it was soon centrally manufactured. Despite the existence of the puppet government, almost no-one in Finland favoured the Soviet cause. The nation was united in the face of Russian aggression. 6. International Involvement A Finnish soldier with an M-26 machine gun Like the Spanish Civil War before it, the Winter War became a rallying point for opposition to what many saw as a dangerous ideology and the policies of a dictator. Money and supplies were raised from countries around the world, though a German blockade made it hard to get them through. Messages of support were sent by prominent figures in Washington. France and Britain talked about sending their own troops into Finland. But it was Finland’s local neighbours who helped the Finns the most. Volunteers from Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Estonia, Hungary and the Ukraine came to fight for the Finns. Fellow Scandinavian countries, in particular, had friendly relations with Finland and feared that the Soviets would invade them too. They supplied troops familiar with the climate and its ways of fighting, men who, like the Finns, they were able to ski into battle. 7.

Peace at a Price Winter War: Finland’s territorial concessions to the Soviet Union By Jniemenmaa CC BY-SA 3.0 / Wikipedia The USSR had its own tactics – costly, brutal ways, but ways which could win. Flinging thousands of men into head-on assaults, they wore down Finnish resistance, and eventually breached the defensive lines. Outnumbered, outgunned and with their plans broken, the Finns were forced to seek peace. It was a peace the Soviets were willing to accept. The war had cost them hugely in terms of men, material and reputation – it was a painful embarrassment they wanted to put behind them. Despite this, they held enough Finnish territory to seek terms that suited them. On 12 March 1940, the Moscow Peace Treaty was signed. Finland conceded 11% of its territory, 30% of its economic base, to the USSR. 422,000 Finns lost their homes. 8. Lessons Learned… Or Not The Soviets had learned a lesson from the Winter War. They re-equipped their battered armies with better equipment, particularly the T-34 tank.

Hitler, watching from Germany, had also learned a lesson – that Russia was weak, and he could confidently invade and conquer the country. But Hitler had not learned all the tactical lessons of the war, he failed to realize the ability of ill-equipped but determined forces to hold back better-equipped foes, and the dangers of a war in winter. Next time, these would aid the Soviets, not stop them and the lessons learned from the Finns, would allow them to beat the Germans. Source:

Question: What country used Molotov cocktails in their war with the Soviets?
Answer: Finland