The Potsdam Declaration, issued on July 26, 1945, demanded Japan’s surrender and warned of “prompt and utter destruction.”
The declaration was issued by the United States, the United Kingdom, and China during the Potsdam Conference. Harry S. Truman, Winston Churchill, and Chiang Kai-shek were the leaders associated with its publication. The Soviet Union was not yet at war with Japan and therefore did not initially sign the declaration.
Its terms called for the unconditional surrender of Japan’s armed forces, disarmament, the removal of militarist influence, and the establishment of democratic tendencies. It also stated that Japanese sovereignty would be limited to the home islands and other territories determined by the Allies.
Japan initially rejected the declaration publicly. After the atomic bombings and the Soviet entry into the Pacific War, Japanese leaders accepted its terms in August. The declaration is sometimes confused with the Potsdam Agreement, which mainly addressed the occupation and reconstruction of Germany.