Stockholm Appeal

On March 15, 1950,[1] the World Peace Council approved the Stockholm Appeal, calling for an absolute ban on nuclear weapons. The appeal was initiated by the French Communist physicist Frédéric Joliot-Curie, gathered petitions allegedly signed by 273,470,566 persons (including the entire adult population of the U.S.S.R.)

The text of the Appeal read:

“We demand the outlawing of atomic weapons as instruments of intimidation and mass murder of peoples. We demand strict international control to enforce this measure.

“We believe that any government which first uses atomic weapons against any other country whatsoever will be committing a crime against humanity and should be dealt with as a war criminal.

“We call on all men and women of good will throughout the world to sign this appeal.”

Notable signatories

References

  1. "Stockholm Peace Appeal", in W.E.B. Du Bois: An Encyclopedia, Gerald Horne and Mary Young, eds. (Greenwood Publishing Group, 2001) pp301-302
  2. http://www.usasurvival.org/docs/Frank_Marshall_Davis_4.pdf
  3. Jeannine Verdès-Leroux, "Qui a signé l'appel de Stockholm ?"