Which 1945 Allied proclamation set the terms for Japan’s surrender before V-J Day?

The Potsdam Declaration set the Allied terms for Japan’s surrender in 1945.

Issued on July 26, the proclamation was released by United States President Harry S. Truman, United Kingdom Prime Minister Winston Churchill, and Chinese leader Chiang Kai-shek. It called for the unconditional surrender of all Japanese armed forces and warned that the alternative was “prompt and utter destruction.”

The declaration also outlined postwar objectives. Japan’s sovereignty would be limited to the home islands and other islands designated by the Allies, its military would be disarmed, and democratic tendencies and fundamental human rights would be established.

The Soviet Union did not initially sign the declaration because it was still neutral in the war against Japan. After entering the war in August, the Soviet Union joined the Allied position. Japan accepted the declaration in August, and its terms were reflected in the formal surrender signed aboard USS Missouri.