What 1945 declaration called for Japan’s unconditional surrender before the atomic bombings?

The Potsdam Declaration called for Japan’s unconditional surrender in 1945.

The United States, the United Kingdom, and China issued the declaration on 26 July 1945. It described the terms the Allies expected Japan to accept and warned of “prompt and utter destruction” if Japan continued the war.

The declaration stated that Japanese sovereignty would be limited to the home islands and other islands determined by the Allies. It also demanded the disarmament of Japanese forces and the removal of leaders who had pursued expansion and militarism.

Japan did not immediately accept the declaration. The United States dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima on 6 August and Nagasaki on 9 August, while the Soviet Union entered the war against Japan on 8 August. Japan accepted the declaration’s terms in August, leading to the formal surrender ceremony on 2 September 1945. The Potsdam Declaration is sometimes confused with the Cairo Declaration, which had earlier outlined Allied aims concerning Japanese-occupied territories.