The History of the Molotov Cocktail | Defending Europe | National Geographic UK

Coined by Finnish soldiers, the Molotov cocktail is named after Yacheslav Molotov, a leading figure in the Soviet Union from the 1920s to 1950s. During the Winter War between Finland and the Soviet Union, Finland sustained heavy bombing. When Molotov claimed that the bombs were actually parcels of food, the Finns responded by attacking advancing Soviet tanks with Molotov "cocktails" as a "drink to go with the food". Military historian Alex Churchill and other experts head to Finland to find out more about the Finns' defensive history.

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