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“My short-term goal is the abolition of nuclear weapons, and my long-term goal is the abolition of war.” Sir Joseph Rotblat.
“If ever these evils are eradicated, his name should stand very high indeed among the heroes.” Lord Bertrand Russell.
Introduction: a quick overview
Joseph (Józef) – known to many of us as Jo – Rotblat was born in Warsaw on 4 November 1908, the fifth of the seven children of a Jewish family. He saw hardship as a boy, with his father’s nationwide horse-drawn transport business collapsing when his horses were requisitioned for the army in World War I. His education was severely disrupted; he could not attend school regularly and began training as an electrical technician at the age of 12½. Being therefore unable to obtain the secondary school certificate required for university entry, while working he studied part-time in the evenings at the Free University of Warsaw, from where he graduated in physics in 1932.
To read the whole speech by John Finney download the PDF (1.37 Mb)