The United States, the United Kingdom, and China issued the Potsdam Declaration on July 26, 1945. It demanded the unconditional surrender of Japan and warned of “prompt and utter destruction” if Japan refused.
The declaration was produced during the Potsdam Conference near Berlin, where Allied leaders were discussing the postwar order after Germany’s defeat. President Harry S. Truman represented the United States, Prime Minister Winston Churchill represented Britain, and Chiang Kai-shek represented China, although Chiang did not attend the conference in person.
The document outlined major conditions for Japan’s surrender. It called for the disarmament of Japanese forces, the removal of leaders associated with militarism, and the limitation of Japanese sovereignty to the home islands and other islands designated by the Allies.
The Soviet Union did not sign the initial declaration because it had not yet entered the war against Japan. After the atomic bombings and the Soviet declaration of war, Japan accepted the declaration’s terms in August 1945.