Which 1945 Allied ultimatum did Japan accept when it surrendered in World War II?

Japan accepted the Potsdam Declaration when it surrendered in World War II.

The United States, the United Kingdom, and China issued the declaration on 26 July 1945 during the Potsdam Conference. It called for the unconditional surrender of Japan’s armed forces and warned of “prompt and utter destruction” if Japan refused. The Soviet Union joined the declaration after entering the war against Japan.

The document outlined Allied aims for postwar Japan. It called for the elimination of Japanese militarism, punishment of war criminals, occupation of designated territory, and the establishment of conditions supporting democracy and peaceful government. It also stated that Japan would not be destroyed as a nation or enslaved as a people.

Japan’s government formally accepted the declaration in August. Hirohito’s surrender broadcast referred to accepting its terms, and the Japanese Instrument of Surrender later recorded the commitment to carry them out. The declaration is often confused with the Yalta Agreement, which was a separate Allied agreement about postwar arrangements and Soviet participation in the war against Japan.