Molotov cocktail

Molotov cocktail (petrol bomb) is the generic name for a variety of crude incendiary weapons. Commonly associated with irregular military forces and rioters, they are more frequently used for basic arson.

History

The name "Molotov cocktail" is derived from Vyacheslav Mikhailovich Molotov, a Soviet politician who was the People's Commissar for Foreign Affairs (Foreign Minister) of the Soviet Union. During the buildup to World War II, when Finland refused to allow Stalin to establish military bases on Finnish soil, the Soviets invaded. The poorly-equipped and heavily-outnumbered Finnish Army, facing Red Army tanks in what came to be known as the Winter War, borrowed an improvised incendiary device from the 1936-39 Spanish Civil War that the Church- and Axis-backed Nationalists under General Francisco Franco had used against Soviet T-26 tanks supporting the Spanish Republicans in a failed 1936 Soviet blitzkrieg near Toledo, 30 km from Madridhttp://www.ejercito.mde.es/ihycm/revista/89/infiesta.htm.

Related Topics:
Vyacheslav Mikhailovich Molotov - People's Commissar - Soviet Union - World War II - Stalin - Finnish Army - Red Army - Tank - Winter War

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When Molotov claimed in radio broadcasts that the Soviet Union was not dropping bombs, but rather delivering food to the starving Finns, the Finns responded by saluting the advancing tanks with "Molotov cocktails." At first the term was used to describe only the burning mixture itself, but in practical use the term was soon applied to the combination of both bottle and fillings. This Finnish use of the hand- or sling-thrown explosive against Soviet tanks was repeated in the subsequent Continuation War. Molotov cocktails were eventually mass-produced by the Finnish military, bundled with matches to light them.

Related Topics:
Sling - Continuation War - Match

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These weapons saw widespread use by all sides in World War II. They were very effective against light tanks, and very bad for enemy morale. The following is a first-hand description of their effects, written during the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising in 1943:

Related Topics:
Warsaw Ghetto Uprising - 1943

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:The well-aimed bottles hit the tank. The flames spread quickly. The blast of the explosion is heard. The machine stands motionless. The crew is burned alive. The other two tanks turn around and withdraw. The Germans who took cover behind them withdraw in panic. We take leave of them with a few well-aimed shots and grenades.

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:— Eyewitness reporting for the Żydowska Organizacja Bojowa (Jewish Fighting Organization), 19 April 1943

Related Topics:
Żydowska Organizacja Bojowa - 19 April - 1943

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During the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, members of the Israeli Kibbutz Dgania managed to stop a Syrian tank assault by using Molotov cocktails. They were frequently used against Soviet tanks with great efficiency in the Hungarian Revolution of 1956, although it should be noted that Molotov cocktails are much more effective against gasoline engines than diesel engines.

Related Topics:
1948 Arab-Israeli War - Israel - Kibbutz Dgania - Syria - Tank

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The reason the weapon has been used against tanks so effectively is that tanks are most vulnerable underneath, and a Molotov cocktail will often blow up the gasoline tank, destroying the machine (particularly for older tank models). Some Soviet tanks actually had an entry to the gas tank on the side of the vehicle, which could be opened by combatants in close quarters, letting out the highly flammable liquid and making destruction of the tank even easier. Note that these tactics were only effective due to the advantage guerrillas had in close quarters; tanks can barely maneuver in such conditions and are not able to counter quick-moving enemies armed with incendiary bombs.

Related Topics:
Gasoline - Incendiary bomb

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Petrol bombs were widely used throughout the Troubles in Northern Ireland in riot situations, directed towards the RUC or the British Army. As well as occasional situations where they continue to be used against the PSNI and army, they are frequently used in sectarian attacks on homes and businesses by both communities. Fireworks and homemade grenades (blast bombs) now commonly accompany petrol bomb attacks on the security forces.

Related Topics:
Troubles - Northern Ireland - RUC - British Army - PSNI - Sectarian - Blast bomb

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