Which three leaders issued the Potsdam Declaration calling for Japan's surrender in July 1945?

Harry Truman, Winston Churchill, and Chiang Kai-shek issued the Potsdam Declaration calling for Japan's surrender in July 1945.

The declaration was released on July 26, 1945, during the Potsdam Conference. Truman represented the United States, Churchill represented the United Kingdom, and Chiang Kai-shek represented the Republic of China. The Soviet Union did not sign the declaration because it was still officially neutral in its war with Japan at that moment.

The document called for the unconditional surrender of all Japanese armed forces and warned of “prompt and utter destruction” if Japan refused. It also described broad postwar conditions, including the occupation of selected Japanese territory, disarmament, punishment of war criminals, and the limitation of Japanese sovereignty.

Japan initially did not accept the ultimatum. After the atomic bombings, the Soviet declaration of war, and internal political debate, the Japanese government accepted the declaration's terms. Hirohito announced that decision on August 15, and the formal surrender followed on September 2.