The Potsdam Declaration was issued on July 26, 1945, setting out Allied terms for Japan’s surrender.
The declaration was released during the Potsdam Conference near Berlin. It was issued by the United States, the United Kingdom, and China, whose leader Chiang Kai-shek was not physically present at the conference. The Soviet Union did not initially sign it because it was not yet at war with Japan.
The declaration demanded the unconditional surrender of Japan’s armed forces and warned of “prompt and utter destruction” if Japan refused. It also stated that Japanese sovereignty would be limited to the home islands and other islands determined by the Allies, while Japanese militarism would be removed.
Japan’s government initially did not accept the declaration. After the atomic bombings and the Soviet entry into the war, Hirohito announced on August 15 that Japan would accept its terms. The declaration later provided a legal basis for the Allied occupation and postwar reforms.