How the Molotov cocktail got it's name

[Zuni]

In November 1939, after invading and occupying Eastern Poland, the USSR still felt insecure about it's borders in the north. Leningrad stood not far from the Finnish border, on the Karelian Isthmus. Stalin decided he would invade Finland, which after all used to be part of the USSR and annex the territory he wanted. Between 1939 and 1940, Stalin went on to try to capture all Russian territory lost in WWI and the Revolution that lenin and Trotsky had not regained. This included eastern poland, Bessarabia in Roumania, and the baltic States and parts of Finland.
In the 1930s the President of the USSR was Stalin's crony, Valachysev Molotov (sp?). Stalin was the one who held real power as General Secretary of the Communist Party, a tradition he started in 1924 and would continue untill the fall of the USSR. The President had an impressive title but he had little real power.
In August 1939 Molotov and Nazi Foreign Minister Joachim Von Ribbentrop signed the Nazi-Soviet accords. This divided Europe into 'spheres of influence', which basically gave free license for either power to dominate and exploit at will. Finland was in the Russian sphere, although Hitler was well disposed to the Finns.
In november 1939 hundreds of thousands of ill prepared Soviet soldiers crossed the border and invaded Finland. The Finns put up a ferocious fight, killing more Russians than they had soldiers in their own army.
But they were not well equipped. Soon the finns began putting fuel in liquor bottles and stuffing it with an oily rag. To make fun of the Soviets, they started calling them 'Molotov's cocktail'.

Later on the Soviets would appropriate the method and use it to great effect against german tanks, particulary in close in fighting in cities, where the bottles could be lobbed out of windows on top of German soldiers.
It was a major tactic that led to the Russian Army being able to hold at Stalingrad, among other places.

[amberdisc]

1. Finland was never part of the USSR

From 1809 to 1917 Finland was the Grand Duchy of Finland and as such part of Imperial Russia. (Although it was largely autonomous, luckily for them).

When the Russian revolution broke out in November 1917, the Finns declared themselves independent (on 6th December, 1917) which was accepted by the Russians.

Then, there was a pretty nasty civil war in Finland between Reds and Whites (Finns fighting Finns mostly I believe). The Reds lost and Finland then became a democratic republic which it has been since.

In fact the first Finnish general election was the first in the world in which women could vote (New Zealand allowed women to vote in local elections a little earlier, so they get that record.)

Before 1809 Finland was an integral part of Sweden which it had been since the 14th century. They joined the Swedish Kingdom on a voluntary basis. The Russians invaded in 1809.

[Zuni]

2. My bad

I meant to say Russian Empire. Thanks for correcting this for me.