Which declaration did Japan formally accept before announcing its surrender in August 1945?

Japan formally accepted the Potsdam Declaration before announcing its surrender in August 1945.

The declaration was issued on July 26, 1945, by the United States, the United Kingdom, and China. It demanded Japan’s unconditional surrender and outlined broad Allied aims, including the elimination of Japanese militarism and the occupation of territory specified by the Allies.

The Soviet Union was not an original signatory because it was still neutral in the war against Japan when the declaration was issued. After the Soviet Union entered the conflict on August 8, it joined the Allied position against Japan.

Japan’s government accepted the declaration through diplomatic communication on August 14, with Emperor Hirohito announcing the decision to the Japanese public on August 15. The phrase “unconditional surrender” applied to Japan’s military forces; the declaration also stated that the Japanese people would not be destroyed or enslaved.