A land mine is a hidden explosive device that is buried in the ground. There are basic one-stage mines that explode on contact, and two-stage models that fly into the air before shattering into deadly shrapnel. A few types illuminate the battlefield instead, either by burning where detonated or firing a flare into the sky.

Although land mines are a relatively recent invention, the use of underground explosives dates back hundreds of years. Besieging armies would try to capture fortified cities by putting primitive mines beneath their walls. During the American Civil War, devices called land torpedoes were used occasionally, despite universal condemnation of such "infernal devices." They were usually 24-pound artillery shells fitted with a sensitive percussion fuse.

The Germans developed the first true land mines during World War I, and used them to disable Allied armored vehicle s. Each mine was an artillery shell...