Which 1945 Allied statement demanded Japan’s surrender before the atomic bombings?

The Potsdam Declaration was the 1945 Allied statement that demanded Japan’s surrender before the atomic bombings.

The United States, United Kingdom, and China issued the declaration on 26 July 1945 during the Potsdam Conference. It called for the surrender of all Japanese armed forces and warned that rejecting the demand would bring “prompt and utter destruction.” The Soviet Union did not sign it at that time because it was still neutral in the war against Japan.

The declaration outlined major surrender conditions, including the occupation of designated Japanese territory, the disarmament of Japanese forces, and the removal of leaders associated with militarism. It also described Japan’s postwar territorial limits, centered on the home islands and smaller islands chosen by the Allies.

Japan did not immediately accept the declaration. After Hiroshima, the Soviet declaration of war, and the bombing of Nagasaki, Japanese leaders moved toward surrender. Japan’s acceptance was later incorporated into the Japanese Instrument of Surrender and shaped the Allied occupation.