What name is given to the Allied declaration issued at Potsdam that demanded Japan’s surrender?

The Allied declaration demanding Japan’s surrender was the Potsdam Declaration.

Issued on July 26, 1945, it was signed by the United States, the United Kingdom, and China. The declaration demanded Japan’s unconditional surrender and warned of “prompt and utter destruction” if Japan refused. The Soviet Union was not initially a signatory because it was still neutral in the war against Japan.

The document described the conditions for Japan’s defeat, including the removal of militarism, occupation of designated territory, disarmament, and the establishment of a peaceful political order. It also stated that the Japanese people would not be permanently enslaved or destroyed.

Japan did not immediately accept the declaration. After Hiroshima, Soviet entry into the war, and Nagasaki, Japanese leaders debated the terms. Hirohito’s August 15 broadcast announced that Japan had accepted them, with the formal surrender following on September 2.