What was the 1945 Allied statement that demanded Japan’s surrender called?

The 1945 Allied statement that demanded Japan’s surrender was called the Potsdam Declaration.

The United States, the United Kingdom, and China issued the declaration on July 26, 1945, during the Potsdam Conference. It called for the unconditional surrender of Japan’s armed forces and warned that the alternative would be “prompt and utter destruction.” The Soviet Union did not initially sign it because it was still neutral toward Japan at that moment.

The declaration outlined a postwar settlement. It called for the removal of leaders responsible for Japanese militarism, the occupation of selected Japanese territory, the disarmament of Japanese forces, and the establishment of democratic tendencies. It also stated that Japanese sovereignty would be limited to the main islands and other islands designated by the Allies.

A frequent source of confusion is the relationship between the Potsdam Declaration and the surrender document. The declaration was an Allied ultimatum and policy statement; the Japanese Instrument of Surrender was the document signed on USS Missouri. Hirohito announced acceptance of the declaration on August 15.