What Is a Molotov Cocktail?

Molotov Cocktail Information and History

You may have heard about Molotov cocktails on the news or seen them in video games, but do you know what they are? Here's a description of a Molotov cocktail and a little history of the device's invention.

What Is a Molotov Cocktail?

A Molotov cocktail is a simple type of improvised incendiary device. A Molotov cocktail is also known as a petrol bomb, alcohol bomb, bottle bomb, poor man's grenade, or simply Molotov.

The simplest form of the device consists of a stoppered bottle filled with a combustible liquid, such as gasoline or high-proof alcohol, with a fuel-soaked rag stuffed in the neck of the bottle. The stopper separates the fuel from the part of the rag that acts as a fuse. To use a Molotov cocktail, the rag is ignited and the bottle is thrown against a vehicle or fortification. The bottle breaks, spraying fuel into the air. The vapor and droplets are ignited by the flame, producing a fireball and then a burning fire, which consumes the remainder of the fuel.

Molotov Ingredients

The key ingredients are a bottle that will shatter on impact and a fuel that is sufficiently flammable to catch fire and spread when the bottle breaks. While gasoline and alcohol are the traditional fuels, other flammable liquids are effective, including diesel, turpentine, and jet fuel. All alcohols work, including ethanol, methanol, and isopropanol.

Sometimes detergent, motor oil, polystyrene foam, or rubber cement are added to make the mixture stick better to the target or cause the burning liquid to release thick smoke.

For the wick, natural fibers, such as cotton or wool, work better than synthetics (nylon, rayon, etc.) because synthetic fibers typically melt.

Origin of the Molotov Cocktail

The Molotov cocktail traces its origins to an improvised incendiary device that was used in the 1936–1939 Spanish Civil War in which General Francisco Franco had Spanish Nationalists use the weapons against Soviet T-26 tanks. In World War II, the Finnish used the weapons against Soviet tanks. Vyacheslav Molotov, the Soviet People's Commissar for Foreign Affairs claimed in radio broadcasts that the Soviet Union was delivering food to the starving Finns rather than dropping bombs on them. The Finns started referring to the air bombs as Molotov bread baskets and to the incendiary weapons they used against the Soviet tanks as Molotov cocktails.

Revisions to the Molotov Cocktail

Throwing a flaming bottle of fuel was inherently dangerous, so modifications were made to the Molotov cocktail. The Alko corporation mass-produced Molotov cocktails. These devices consisted of 750 ml glass bottles that contained a mixture of gasoline, ethanol, and tar. The sealed bottles were bundled with a pair of pyrotechnic storm matches, one on either side of the bottle. One or both of the matches were lit before the device was thrown, either by hand or using a sling. The matches were safer and more reliable than the fuel-soaked cloth fuses.

The tar thickened the fuel mixture so that the fuel would adhere to its target and so the fire would produce a lot of smoke. Any flammable liquid could be used as the fuel. Other thickening agents included dish soap, egg whites, sugar, blood, and motor oil.

The Polish army developed a mixture of sulfuric acid, sugar, and potassium chlorate that ignited upon impact, thus eliminating the need for a lit fuse.

Uses of Molotov Cocktails

The purpose of a Molotov is to set a target on fire. The incendiaries have been used by regular soldiers in the absence of conventional weapons, but more often they are used by terrorists, protesters, rioters, and street criminals. While effective at instilling fear in targets, Molotov cocktails present a significant risk to the person using them.

Molotov cocktail

A Finnish soldier with a Molotov cocktail in the 1939-40 Winter War.

The Molotov cocktail, also known as a Petrol Bomb, Fire Bomb (not to be confused with the actual Fire Bomb) or just Molotov is a generic name used for a variety of bottle-based improvised incendiary weapons. Due to the relative ease of production, they are frequently used by amateur protesters and non-professionally equipped fighters in urban guerrilla warfare. They are primarily intended to set targets ablaze rather than instantly destroy them.

The name "Molotov cocktail" was coined by the Finns during the Winter War. [1] The name is an insulting reference to Soviet foreign minister Vyacheslav Molotov, who was responsible for the partitioning of Finland with Nazi Germany under the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact in August 1939. The pact with the Nazis bearing Molotov's name, which secretly stated the Soviet intention to invade Finland in November 1939, was widely mocked by the Finns, as well as much of the propaganda Molotov produced to accompany it, including his declaration on Soviet state radio that bombing missions over Finland were actually airborne humanitarian food deliveries for their starving neighbors. The Finns, far from starving and engaged in a bitter war for national survival with the Soviet forces, sarcastically dubbed the Soviet cluster bombs "Molotov bread baskets" in reference to Molotov's propaganda broadcasts. When the hand-held bottle firebomb was developed to attack Soviet tanks, the Finns called it the "Molotov cocktail", as "a drink to go with the food". [2] Molotov himself despised the name, particularly as the term became ubiquitous and genericized as Soviets faced increasing numbers of cocktail-throwing protestors in the Eastern Bloc in the years after World War II. [3]

Recipe Edit

A Molotov cocktail is a breakable glass bottle containing a flammable substance such as gasoline/petrol or a napalm-like mixture, with some motor oil added, and usually a source of ignition such as a burning cloth wick held in place by the bottle's stopper. The wick is usually soaked in alcohol or kerosene, rather than gasoline.

In action, the wick is lit and the bottle hurled at a target such as a vehicle or fortification. When the bottle smashes on impact, the ensuing cloud of petrol droplets and vapour ignites, causing an immediate fireball followed by a raging fire as the remainder of the fuel is consumed. Another method is to place a reactive substance in with the gasoline, and treat the label or wrapper paper with another chemical; when the bottle ruptures, the two chemicals mix and ignite; this is safer to handle if done properly, and does not betray the thrower with a visible flame prior to the throw. A far superior version can be produced by substituting carbon disulfide for the gasoline and saturating this solvent with white phosphorus and sulfur. The mixture will automatically ignite on exposure to air. Care must be taken to avoid the use of rubber stoppers for the bottles, as carbon disulfide readily dissolves rubber.

Other flammable liquids such as diesel fuel, methanol, turpentine and E85 have been used in place of or with gasoline. Thickening agents such as Styrofoam, baking soda, tar, strips of tyre tubing, blood, XPS foam, egg whites, motor oil, rubber cement, and dish soap have been added to help the burning liquid adhere to the target and create clouds of thick, choking smoke. [4]

Development and use in war Edit

Spanish Civil War Edit

Improvised incendiary devices were used for the first time in the Spanish Civil War between July 1936 and April 1939, [5] before they became known as "Molotov cocktails". In 1936, General Francisco Franco ordered Spanish Nationalists to use the weapon against Soviet T-26 tanks supporting the Spanish Republicans in a failed assault on the Nationalist stronghold of Seseña, near Toledo, 40 km (25 mi) south of Madrid. [6] After that, both sides used simple petrol bombs or petrol-soaked blankets with some success. Tom Wintringham, a veteran of the International Brigades, later publicised his recommended method of using them:

We made use of "petrol bombs" roughly as follows: take a 2lb glass jam jar. Fill with petrol. Take a heavy curtain, half a blanket, or some other heavy material. Wrap this over the mouth of the jar, tie it round the neck with string, leave the ends of the material hanging free. When you want to use it have somebody standing by with a light [i.e., a source of ignition]. Put a corner of the material down in front of you, turn the bottle over so that petrol soaks out round the mouth of the bottle and drips on to this corner of the material. Turn the bottle right way up again, hold it in your right hand, most of the blanket bunched beneath the bottle, with your left hand take the blanket near the corner that is wetted with petrol. Wait for your tank. When near enough, your pal [or comrade-in-arms] lights the petrol soaked corner of the blanket. Throw the bottle and blanket as soon as this corner is flaring. (You cannot throw it far.) See that it drops in front of the tank. The blanket should catch in the tracks or in a cog-wheel, or wind itself round an axle. The bottle will smash, but the petrol should soak the blanket well enough to make a really healthy fire which will burn the rubber wheels on which the tank track runs, set fire to the carburettor or frizzle the crew. Do not play with these things. They are highly dangerous.

Khalkhin Gol Edit

The Battle of Khalkhin Gol, a border conflict of 1939 ostensibly between Mongolia and Manchukuo, saw heavy fighting between Japanese and Soviet forces. Short of anti-tank equipment, Japanese infantry attacked Soviet tanks with gasoline-filled bottles. Japanese infantrymen claimed that several hundred Soviet tanks had been destroyed this way, though Soviet loss records do not support this assessment. [7]

Finland Edit

Soviet cluster bomb ironically called a "Molotov bread basket". The "Molotov cocktail" was the Finns' response – "a drink to go with the food".

On 30 November 1939, the Soviet Union invaded Finland, starting what came to be known as the Winter War. The Finnish Army faced large numbers of Red Army tanks. Being short on anti-tank guns, they improvised incendiary devices to use against them.

During the Winter War, the Soviet air force made extensive use of incendiaries and cluster bombs against Finnish troops and fortifications. When Soviet People's Commissar for Foreign Affairs Vyacheslav Molotov claimed in domestic propaganda broadcasts that the USSR was not bombing Finland, but merely delivering food to the citizens, the Finns, who were not starving, started sarcastically to call the air bombs Molotov bread baskets. [8] Soon the Finns responded by attacking advancing tanks with "Molotov cocktails", which were "a drink to go with the food". 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 the bottle and its contents. This Finnish use of the hand- or sling-thrown explosive against Soviet tanks was repeated in the subsequent Continuation War between the two countries. [1]

The original design of the Molotov cocktail produced by the Finnish alcohol monopoly Alko during the Winter War of 1939–40. The bottle has storm matches instead of a rag for a fuse.

The Finns perfected the design and tactical use of the petrol bomb. The fuel for the Molotov cocktail was refined to a slightly sticky mixture of gasoline, kerosene, tar, and potassium chlorate. Further refinements included the attachment of wind-proof matches or a phial of chemicals that would ignite on breakage, thereby removing the need to pre-ignite the bottle, and leaving the bottle about one-third empty was found to make breaking more likely. [9] As the cooling system was almost invariably placed where direct fire wouldn't hit it, the target of choice was the rear deck of a tank; the burning contents of the bottle would pour through the large cooling grills and ignite fuel, hydraulic fluids and ammunition.

A British War Office report dated June 1940 noted that: 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 AFVs 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. [10]

Molotov cocktails were eventually mass-produced by the Alko corporation at its Rajamäki distillery, bundled with matches to light them. Production totalled 450,000 during the Winter War. The original design of the Molotov cocktail was a mixture of ethanol, tar and gasoline in a 750 millilitres (0.79 US qt) bottle. The bottle had two long pyrotechnic storm matches attached to either side. Before use, one or both of the matches was lit; when the bottle broke on impact, the mixture ignited. The storm matches were found to be safer to use than a burning rag on the mouth of the bottle.

Britain Edit

Early in 1940, with the prospect of immediate invasion, the possibilities of the petrol bomb gripped the imagination of the British public. For the layman, the petrol bomb had the benefit of using entirely familiar and available materials, [11] and they were quickly improvised in large numbers, with the intention of using them against enemy tanks. [12] Although the petrol bomb might seem like a weapon of desperation, the possibility of success was not quite as distant as might be imagined. 1940 was at the very end of the era of the light tank, and the German behemoths of the later war years were still in the future: many tanks were surprisingly vulnerable.

When used in the right way and in sufficient numbers, the Finns had found that they were effective. Although the experience of the Spanish Civil War received more publicity, the more sophisticated petroleum warfare tactics of the Finns were not lost on British commanders. In his 5 June address to LDV leaders, General Ironside said:

I want to develop this thing they developed in Finland, called the "Molotov cocktail", a bottle filled with resin, petrol and tar which if thrown on top of a tank will ignite, and if you throw half a dozen or more on it you have them cooked. It is quite an effective thing. If you can use your ingenuity, I give you a picture of a [road] block with two houses close to the block, overlooking it. There are many villages like that. Out of the top windows is the place to drop these things on the tank as it passes the block. It may only stop it for two minutes there, but it will be quite effective. [13]

Wintringham advised that a tank that was isolated from supporting infantry was potentially vulnerable to men who had the required determination and cunning to get close. Rifles or even a shotgun would be sufficient to persuade the crew to close all the hatches, and then the view from the tank is very limited; a turret-mounted machine gun has a very slow traverse and cannot hope to fend off attackers coming from all directions. Once sufficiently close, it is possible to hide where the tank's gunner cannot see: "The most dangerous distance away from a tank is 200 yards; the safest distance is six inches." [14] Petrol bombs will soon produce a pall of blinding smoke, and a well-placed explosive package or even a stout iron bar in the tracks can immobilise the vehicle, leaving it at the mercy of further petrol bombs – which will suffocate the engine and possibly the crew – or an explosive charge or anti-tank mine.

By August 1940, the War Office produced training instructions for the creation and use of Molotov cocktails. The instructions suggested scoring the bottles vertically with a diamond to ensure breakage and providing fuel-soaked rag, windproof matches or a length of cinema film (made of highly flammable nitrocellulose) as a source of ignition. [15]

On 29 July 1940, manufacturers Albright & Wilson of Oldbury demonstrated to the RAF how their white phosphorus could be used to ignite incendiary bombs. The demonstration involved throwing glass bottles containing a mixture of petrol and phosphorus at pieces of wood and into a hut. On breaking, the phosphorus was exposed to the air and spontaneously ignited; the petrol also burned, resulting in a fierce fire. Because of safety concerns, the RAF was not interested in white phosphorus as a source of ignition, but the idea of a self-igniting petrol bomb took hold. Initially known as an A.W. bomb, it was officially named the No. 76 Grenade, but more commonly known as the SIP (Self-Igniting Phosphorus) grenade. The perfected list of ingredients was yellow phosphorus, benzene, water and a two-inch strip of raw rubber; all in a half-pint bottle sealed with a crown stopper. [16] Over time, the rubber would slowly dissolve, making the contents slightly sticky, and the mixture would separate into two layers – this was intentional, and the grenade should not be shaken to mix the layers, as this would only delay ignition. [17] When thrown against a hard surface, the glass would shatter and the contents would instantly ignite, liberating choking fumes of phosphorus pentoxide and sulphur dioxide as well as producing a great deal of heat. [16] Strict instructions were issued to store the grenades safely, preferably underwater and certainly never in a house. [16] Mainly issued to the Home Guard as an anti-tank weapon, it was produced in vast numbers; by August 1941 well over 6,000,000 had been manufactured. [18]

A display of improvised munitions, including a Molotov cocktail, from the Warsaw Uprising, 1944.

However, there were voices that were more cautious. There were many who were sceptical about the efficacy of Molotov cocktails and SIPs grenades against the more modern German tanks. Weapon designer Stuart Macrae witnessed a trial of the SIPs grenade at Farnborough: "There was some concern that, if the tank drivers could not pull up quickly enough and hop out, they were likely to be frizzled to death, but after looking at the bottles they said they would be happy to take a chance." [19] The drivers were proved right, trials on modern British tanks confirmed that Molotov and SIP grenades caused the occupants of the tanks "no inconvenience whatsoever". [20]

Wintringham, though enthusiastic about improvised weapons cautioned against a reliance on petrol bombs and repeatedly emphasised the importance of using explosive charges. [21] [22]

Other fronts Edit

During the Irish War of Independence, IRA fighters sometimes used sods of turf soaked in paraffin oil to attack British army barracks. Fencing wire was pushed through the sod to make a throwing handle. [23]

The Polish Home Army developed a version [24] which ignited on impact without the need of a wick. Ignition was caused by a reaction between concentrated sulfuric acid mixed with the fuel and a mixture of potassium chlorate and sugar which was crystallized from solution onto a rag attached to the bottle.

The United States Marine Corps developed a version during World War II that used a tube of nitric acid and a lump of metallic sodium to ignite a mixture of petrol and diesel fuel. [25]

Modern use Edit

A Molotov cocktail bursts during an anti-G8 demonstration in Rostock, 2007.

While Molotov cocktails may be a psychologically effective method of disabling armoured fighting vehicles by forcing the crew out or damaging external components, most modern tanks cannot be physically destroyed or rendered completely inoperable by Molotov cocktails; only "disabled". Early Soviet tanks had poorly designed engine louvers which allowed the admission of fuel – this design fault was quickly rectified, and subsequent armoured vehicles had engine louvers which drained fuel (as well as rain water and dust) away from the engine. Most tanks and infantry fighting vehicles (IFVs) of the 21st century have specially designed nuclear, biological and chemical protective systems that make them internally air-tight and sealed; they are well protected from vapors, gases, and liquids. Modern tanks possess very thick composite armour consisting of layers of steel, ceramics, plastics and Kevlar, and these materials have melting points well above the burning temperature of gasoline, which makes the vehicles themselves invulnerable to Molotov cocktails. Only external components such as optical systems, antennas, externally mounted weapons systems or ventilation ports and openings can be damaged, which can make a tank virtually "blind" or allow burning gasoline to seep into the vehicle, forcing the crew to at least open the hatches or perhaps abandon the vehicle. A Molotov cocktail thrown through an open hatch into the crew spaces would, like most other grenades, adversely and seriously affect the crew and equipment. However, many modern tanks (such as those operated by the US and NATO) have on-board fire suppression systems. Any fire in a crew space will be automatically extinguished with Halon or another fire suppressant. [ Clarification needed ]

During the Second Battle of Fallujah US Marines employed Molotov cocktails made with "one part liquid laundry detergent, two parts gas" for 'burning out' their enemies from houses. [26]

Molotov cocktails used by protesters in Thailand, May 2010.

In Northern Ireland, Molotov cocktails were used by rioting paramilitary groups and protesters against the police, and they are also used to attack houses to burn the house or to intimidate the occupants.

In the Arab Spring, including in Cairo, Egypt, pro-government forces attacked protesters in Cairo with Molotovs. In the Bahraini uprising, protesters used Molotov cocktails against security forces.

Legality Edit

As incendiary devices, Molotov cocktails are illegal to manufacture or possess in many regions. In the United States, Molotov cocktails are considered "destructive devices" under the National Firearms Act and regulated by the ATF. [27]

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The Molotov Cocktail

A PROJECTILE FOR INCENDIARY FLASH FICTION

Submissions

The Molotov Cocktail is interested in volatile flash fiction, the kind of prose you cook up in a bathtub and handle with rubber gloves. While literary fiction is certainly welcomed, The Molotov Cocktail isn’t some erudite journal that will only accept stories with at least five layers of metaphor. We want your action, we want your rotten characters, we want viscera. While genre pieces are permissible, anything that is reliant on genre convention over story will not be looked kindly upon. It’s all about language and story.

We encourage surrealist and experimental stuff, so hit us with your best shot, but avoid the following genres because we’ll reject them outright: romance, children’s or young adult, swords and sorcerers brand of fantasy. Also, avoid the following because they’ll make us want to punch you in the face:

• Stories set primarily in bars, coffee shops, or high school

• Stories about writers

• Stories glorifying rape, incest, or necrophilia (unless you’re Joyce Carol Oates, in which case we’ll put you in the maybe pile, Ms. Oates).

• Stories in which the first two or three lines involve someone pondering something while watching their cigarette smoke swirl up into the light.

• Bios in which you refer to yourself as “crazy” or “unhinged” or “insane.” It may sound edgy to you, but to us it sounds as outmoded as the lobotomy.

• Demanding pre-approval of any edits we make. You’re not that special.

• Please, please, please don’t tell us you are thus far unpublished. It’s not sexy. If you hope to make us your first, know that we prefer seduction over pity fucks.

Also, lately, we’ve been seeing a lot of stories that end with gunshots. We’ve published a few, but we are getting tired of these endings so probably won’t be publishing many more in the near future. We love crude and ruthless fiction, but anything overtly scatological, pornographic, or exploitative won’t be touched with a 10-foot editor’s pole.

Submissions must not exceed 1000 words unless those extra words are fucking genius. Even so, you’d be wise to keep it under 1000, with priority given to fiction that tells the most engaging and self-contained story in the fewest words (average length of accepted pieces is around 300-600).

Poetry is accepted, but only if it’s actually flash fiction. ALL SUBMISSIONS MUST BE SENT THROUGH SUBMITTABLE (<— Click that).You’ll have to set up an account there, but if you’re a writer worth her salt than you should be doing that anyway. If you want to e-mail us for reasons other than submissions, you can still use the old e-mail address (molotov.submissions@gmail.com).

In case you’re skimming this section (for shame), here it is again: Submit to The Molotov Cocktail

Please include a clever two sentence bio written in the third person, but no cover letters are necessary or desired. Bios can list your credentials if that gets you off, but we prefer cleverly-worded insight into who you really are or imagine yourself to be. Simultaneous submissions are encouraged—because how else do you expect to get published—but please inform us immediately if your work is accepted elsewhere or we’ll have no other choice but to release the flying monkeys. Please do not submit more than one story at a time. And don’t inquire about the status of your submission. We’re loyal about responding to each and every submission, but if you don’t hear from us for some reason then it’s a safe bet we don’t want to use it. Upon acceptance, we may also edit your story (for length, grammar, or syntax) without notification, because we’re the editors, damn it.

The Molotov Cocktail accepts no liability arising from the publication of an author’s work. All content appearing on this site is fictional, despite any resemblances to actual people. We reserve one-time electronic rights (and we’ll keep your work in our archives indefinitely) but authors, of course, retain copyrights. Should we publish a print anthology in the future, we will contact you to request permission to feature your work. By submitting work to The Molotov Cocktail you are agreeing to these terms and conditions. Please note that (for non-contest submissions) we cannot pay for stories at this time, except in warm fuzzies, of which we have a judiciously rationed supply.

Molotov or mazel tov cocktail? How one of the world's most well-known weapons got its name

Scottie Nell Hughes speaks with CNN on November 6, 2016. CNN

Donald Trump's surrogates have said a number of perplexing things over the course of the election, but a recent misstatement stands out.

Scottie Nell Hughes, speaking on CNN on Sunday, criticized the Clinton campaign for having Jay Z and BeyoncГ© appear at a recent campaign event.

"One of his main videos starts off with a crowd throwing Mazel Tov cocktails at the police," Hughes said, referring to the music video for Jay Z's "No Church in the Wild."

"Mazel tov" is, of course,В a popular HebrewВ phrase used to express congratulations or good fortune toВ someone, not usually used in anВ explosive context.

Hughes was likely referring to a Molotov cocktail, an improvised weapon that often uses a rag stuffed into a bottle of liquor or some other flammable substance and launched at vehicles or buildings. Such a weapon was reportedly used in the fire that damaged a North Carolina GOP office in October.

Weapons of this type are believed to have emerged during the Spanish Civil War in the 1930s, when Republican fighters hurled them at tanks belonging to Nationalist forces.

The scene in Moscow on August 23, 1939, after representatives of Nazi Germany and Soviet Russia signed their 10-year Non Aggression Pact. Shown from left to right are: Freidrich Gaus, Joachim von Ribbentrop, Vyacheslav Molotov, and Joseph Stalin. Molotov signed for Russia and von Ribbentrop signed for Germany. AP Photo

But it only became the Molotov cocktail during the early days of World War II, when Soviet forces вЂ” still emboldened by the secret nonaggression backed signed by Russian foreign minister Vyacheslav Molotov and his Nazi counterparts вЂ” invaded Finland in what has become known as the "Winter War."

When reports began circulating that Russian forces were bombing the Finns at the outset of that 1939-1940 conflict, Molotov, which means "hammer" in Russian, objected, saying that the Soviets were in fact dropping food and drink over Finland.

Exhibiting wit under fire, the Finns started referring to the cluster munitionsВ dropped by the Soviets as "Molotov bread baskets."

Antigovernment protesters hold Molotov cocktails as they attack an office of the pro-presidential Party of the Regions in Kiev. Thomson Reuters

To complete the pairing, Finnish fighters started calling the incendiary bombs they used against Russian forces "Molotov cocktails."

They weren't limited to Scandinavia, however.

According to the New Republic, as British forces girded themselves for a potential Nazi invasion in 1940, armed home-guard units were given Molotov cocktails to be used for domestic defense.

Despite Hughes' objections, Molotov cocktails are not currently banned in the US. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms considers them "destructive devices" under the National Firearms Act, according to the New Republic.

While that means Molotov cocktails aren't prohibited, it does require you to register them with the ATF.

NOW WATCH: 'He cannot be my president. He cannot be our president.': Jay Z weighs in on Trump's 'divisive' rhetoric

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Molotov or mazel tov cocktail? How one of the world's most well-known weapons got its name

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Molotov Cocktail

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How to make:

SHAKE all ingredients with ice and fine strain into chilled glass.

Lemon zest twist

The ingredients represent the four liquids used in the weapon. Vodka, stands for alcohol, parfait amour shares the purple hue of paraffin, lemon juice represents gasoline and black sambuca replaces tar.

Created after a visit to the Rajamäki distillery in Finland. At the start of the Second World War the plant was used to produce Molotov cocktails, inflammatory bombs with which the Finns put hundreds of Soviet tanks out of action.

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Lightly MUDDLE mint (just to bruise) in base of shaker. Add next 3 ingredients, SHAKE with ice and strain into ice-filled glass. TOP with soda, lightly stir and serve with straws.

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Molotov cocktail

Alternative forms Edit

Etymology Edit

A calque of the Finnish Molotovin koktaili. Coined in Finland during the Winter War of 1939–40 between Finland and the Soviet Union, and named after then-Soviet Foreign Minister Vyacheslav Molotov (1890–1986).

Pronunciation Edit

A crudeincendiarybomb made from a glass bottle, either filled with a flammableliquid such as petroleum and supplied with a rag for a fuse that is lit just before being hurled, or filled with such a mix of flammable liquids that it ignites itself when it is smashed and its contents are exposed to air.

Quotations Edit

For usage examples of this term, see Citations:Molotov cocktail.

Synonyms Edit

( bomb ) : mollie ( informal ) , petrol bomb
Molotov , molotov

Related terms Edit

Translations Edit

Arabic: زُجاجَة حَارِقَة‏ ‎ f ( zujāja(t) ḥāriqa ) , كُوكْتَيْل مُولُوتُوف‏ ‎ m ( kuktayl molotof )
Armenian: Մոլոտովի կոկտեյլ ( Molotovi kokteyl )
Azeri: Molotov kokteyli
Belarusian: кактэ́йль Мо́латава(be)m ( kaktéjlʹ Mólatava )
Bulgarian: кокте́йл Мо́лотовm ( koktéjl Mólotov )
Chinese: Mandarin: 燃燒瓶(zh) , 燃烧瓶(zh) ( ránshāopíng )
Czech: Molotovův koktejlm
Danish: molotovcocktailc
Dutch: molotovcocktail(nl)m
Estonian: Molotovi kokteil
Finnish: Molotovin cocktail(fi) , Molotovin koktaili , polttopullo(fi)
French: cocktail Molotov(fr)m
Georgian: მოლოტოვის კოქტეილი ( moloṭovis ḳokṭeili )
German: Molotowcocktail(de)m , Brandflasche(de)f
Greek: κοκτέιλ μολότωφn ( koktéil molótof )
Hebrew: בַּקְבּוּק תַּבְעֵרָה‏ ‎ (he)

Hungarian: Molotov-koktél(hu)
Italian: bomba Molotovf
Japanese: 火炎瓶 ( かえんびん, kaenbin )
Kannada: ಮೊಲೊಟೊವ್ ( moloṭov )
Korean: 화염병 ( hwayeombyeong ) ( 火焰甁(ko) )
Mongolian: Молотовын коктейль ( Molotovyn koktejlʹ )
Persian: کوکتل مولوتف‏ ‎ (fa) ( koktel molotof )
Polish: koktajl Mołotowa(pl)m
Portuguese: coquetel Molotov
Russian: кокте́йль Мо́лотова(ru)m ( koktɛ́jlʹ Mólotova )
Slovak: Molotovov koktailm
Slovene: koktajl Molotovam
Spanish: coctel molotovm , cóctel molotovm , bomba molotov
Swedish: molotovcocktailc
Turkish: Molotof kokteyli(tr)
Ukrainian: кокте́йль Мо́лотоваm ( koktéjlʹ Mólotova )
Vietnamese: chai cháy

References Edit

D. L. Gold (1996), “Etymology and Etiology in the Study of Proper Nouns, Eponymous Lexemes, and Possibly Eponymous Lexemes”, in Onomastica: pismo poświęcone nazewnictwu geograficznemu i osobowemu oraz innym nazwom własnym, v 41, pp 109–38.

Molotov cocktail

From Uncyclopedia, the content-free encyclopedia

James Bond on Molotov cocktail

The Molotov Cocktail, mixes the two most important elements to man: fire and alcohol (gas sometimes prefered). Created by Russian scientist Dr. Suess during a war some time in the months of Spring, it is also known as a "petrol bomb", though the meaning is thought to be soon useless due to the increasing cost of fuel prices combined with the fact that diesel is a much more environment friendly way to cause damage to the surrounding environment. It was made especially for rioters as suitable defence from authority figures who would otherwise be unfairly bullying the poor Molotov-weilding hooligans (applying mostly to the UK) who are usually picked on for supporting "the wrong team" according the the police forces perspective.

edit History

Originally invented by a Frenchman, the elusive recipe for the Molotov cocktail was later stolen by a street urchin from the Soviet Union (when it was still the Soviet Union) and smuggled back across (several) borders. Upon returning to the USSR, the beggar traded his secret for a loaf of rye bread. The bartender, a man by the name of "Hairy Jim Vladovich", sat down to mix the drink. Halfway through the process, however, he was distracted by a loud noise in the backroom. While he went to check on it a wounded soldier stumbled in, grabbed the drink, and downed it to ease the pain. By the time Hairy Jim came back the soldier had spontaneously combusted. He topped up the cocktail and named it "Molo" after the fallen man, whose dog tags had miraculously survived. Over time the named morphed to Molotov (due to drunken word slurrage) and is now enjoyed at only the best four star hotels.

edit How it is made

Take one large glass bottle of your choice and add fill a third of the way to the top with whiskey or the strong spirit of you choice, then add petrol to the mixture so that the bottle is a third of the way full, then take one bar of soap and use a cheese grater to gate the bar of soap till you have turned at least one third of the bar into shavings then put a funnel into the bottle and add soap shavings to the mixture. For a fuse use a length of rag soaked in alcohol or the incendiary liquid of your choice bearing in mind that both the length of the rag and the fluid used will dictate how quickly the Molotov will ignite. Stuff the rag tightly into the bottle to prevent gas of liquid escaping.

edit Recipe

edit Ingredients

Fuel with a hint of surrounding glass bottle not forgetting the cloth in which you ignite in order to give the whole thing that smashing stlye with an explosive end. Note that the choice of Fuel is very important. Alcohol is indeed recommended (vodka preferably. mmm) so that the cocktail indeed remain a cocktail. Alternatively you can use an actual cocks tail (the male chicken, not the organ, you rude **z*y***'s). [1]

Mix the zest of a lemon, an orange and a pineapple in a filthy glass.
Pour in two tablespoons of skimmed milk [1] .
Wait for milk to curdle (5-9 days depending on altitude).
Add generous helping of malt whiskey.
Pour over ice and stir.
Serve cold.

edit Usage

Usage is fairly simple. Set the ignition (usually a piece of cloth or nearest small flammable animal) on fire with some sort of tool such as a flamethrower for safe measures and chuck at the first grouchy old person or person of authority you see. If you fear being caught in radius of the explosion then just throw it up in the air above you, close your eyes and count to ten. It is guarenteed that all irrational fears will be diminished by replacing them with rational fears.

edit Alternative theory

WW2 style container for Molotov cocktail

edit History

The origins of Molotov cocktail have been subject to great controversy in recent years. The latest and most widely accepted theory by Al Gore stipulates that Molotov cocktail is in fact a viscous and not odorless heterogenic solution used to preserve human, and less commonly animal parts. It was first discovered by Russian librarian and 54th husband of Elizabeth Taylor, Grigori "Pants" Molotov. It was used extensively in the Second World War to transport deceased Red Army soldiers to Moscov Grand Imperial Circus to be used as props. Due to severe shortage of food on the Eastern Front the field kitchens were free to be utilized for this purpose. Surprisingly only isolated cases of eating were reported.

edit Chemical properties

To make Molotov cocktail one only needs a bathtub, a shovel, a private pilots licence and the following industry standard substances:

edit Usage

Due to soaring price of oil these days the most common use of Molotov cocktail is for celebrities to preserve their pets. It was also successfully pioneered in the Eighties for embalming of famous statesmen.

Molotov Cocktail

General information

Weapon type

Weapon upgrade(s)

A Molotov Cocktail is an explosive weapon that appears in The Last of Us. It belongs to the explosives group.

Molotov Cocktails are created by binding an alcohol-soaked wick to the neck of a bottle of hard liquor. When the wick is lit and the Molotov is broken, it ignites and bathes the area in flames.

In-game Edit

Story Mode Edit

Crafting a Molotov Cocktail requires the same ingredients as a Health kit; a rag and alcohol.

Perhaps the single most effective weapon available, they instantly kill any enemy, except for a Bloater, with a single hit. They do render Bloaters susceptible to other weapons by burning away their thick fungus armor, and as a thrown weapon they do not give away one's position. Additionally, screaming enemies will draw other Infected to their position. Any enemy which comes in contact with the pool of fire shortly after the Molotov explodes catch fire and die instantly, making the Molotov a useful area denial weapon.

Multiplayer Edit

The same ingredients plus binding are needed to make a Molotov. The Molotov instantly kills unarmored enemies via direct contact, even with full health, but lucky armored opponents with quick reflexes a few meters outside the marked blast radius can survive a Molotov. If the enemy is close enough to the point of impact or injured enough, they skip "downed" mode altogether and are instantly executed, making it arguably the deadliest weapon in Factions. However, a Molotov doesn't seem to down an armored enemy which has full health with a direct hit; an indirect hit can still down.

It moves quickly upon being thrown, and unlike the Nail Bomb, the Molotov detonates on impact. If the thrower is at a relatively short distance and throws a Molotov with the enemy in the center of the radius, it moves fast enough to not give the enemy enough time to escape.

Molotovs are inappropriate for stealth, as the glow from the lit rag can give away players' positions even if they are behind cover or otherwise out of sight. Molotovs benefit from the Explosion Expert skill by having their area of effect increased.

Molotovs can backfire on the player if thrown too close to their position. The burn damage left on the ground can be exploited by enemies using the Awareness skill to locate users.

среда, 31 января 2018 г.

molotov_cocktail

What Is a Molotov Cocktail?

Molotov Cocktail Information and History