Which Allied declaration issued on 26 July 1945 demanded Japan’s surrender before the V-J Day events?

The Allied declaration issued on 26 July 1945 demanding Japan’s surrender was the Potsdam Declaration.

The United States, United Kingdom, and China issued the proclamation during the Potsdam Conference. It called for the unconditional surrender of Japanese armed forces and warned that refusal would bring “prompt and utter destruction.” The Soviet Union later agreed to adhere to the declaration after entering the war against Japan.

The document also described postwar principles, including disarmament, the removal of militarist influence, and the limitation of Japanese sovereignty to the home islands and other territories determined by the Allies. It did not explicitly mention atomic weapons.

The Potsdam Declaration should not be confused with the Cairo Declaration of 1943, which addressed Japan’s territorial aims and future borders. Japan’s acceptance of the Potsdam terms became the basis for the later surrender documents.