On what date was the Potsdam Declaration issued to set terms for Japan’s surrender?

The Potsdam Declaration was issued on July 26, 1945, to set terms for Japan’s surrender.

The United States, the United Kingdom, and China issued the declaration during the Potsdam Conference. It called for the unconditional surrender of Japan’s armed forces and warned that refusal would bring “prompt and utter destruction.” The Soviet Union did not sign the initial declaration because it was still neutral toward Japan at that point.

The declaration also described the intended postwar settlement. Japan’s sovereignty would be limited to the home islands and other territories determined by the Allies, its armed forces would be disarmed, and war criminals would face justice. It promised that the Japanese people would not be enslaved or destroyed as a nation.

Japan did not immediately accept the declaration. After the atomic bombings, the Soviet declaration of war, and internal political debate, Emperor Hirohito announced Japan’s acceptance on August 15. The formal surrender document was then signed on September 2, making the July declaration the terms-setting statement rather than the final surrender instrument.