Potsdam hosted the 1945 conference where the Allies issued their surrender declaration to Japan.
The Potsdam Declaration was issued on 26 July 1945 by the United States, the United Kingdom, and China. It demanded Japan’s unconditional surrender and warned of “prompt and utter destruction” if Japan refused. The Soviet Union joined the declaration later, after entering the war against Japan.
The declaration’s name comes from Potsdam, Germany, where the Allied leaders were meeting after Germany’s defeat. It should not be confused with the Potsdam Agreement, which dealt mainly with postwar arrangements in Europe.
Japan initially did not accept the declaration. After the atomic bombings, the Soviet entry into the Pacific War, and intense debate within Japan’s leadership, Emperor Hirohito announced acceptance of the Allied terms on 15 August.