Potsdam Declaration

A July 1945 Allied proclamation calling on Japan to surrender unconditionally and warning that refusal would bring prompt and utter destruction. Japan rejected it initially and accepted its terms in August.

Potsdam Conference: A July–August 1945 meeting where Allied leaders discussed postwar Europe and the war against Japan. The declaration was issued during this conference by the United States, Britain, and China.
Unconditional surrender: A demand that a defeated state accept surrender without negotiated terms or guarantees. The declaration demanded that Japan’s armed forces surrender unconditionally.
Atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki: The United States’ use of atomic bombs against Hiroshima on August 6 and Nagasaki on August 9, 1945. The bombings followed Japan’s rejection and intensified pressure to accept the declaration.
Japan’s response to the Potsdam Declaration: The Japanese government’s initial rejection of the declaration, followed by its conditional acceptance in August 1945. The response turned on whether surrender would preserve the emperor’s position.
Harry S. Truman: The 33rd president of the United States, serving from 1945 to 1953. Truman approved the proclamation and helped shape its warning to Japan.
Cairo Declaration: A 1943 Allied statement setting goals for Japan’s defeat and the return of territories it had seized. The Potsdam text reaffirmed the Cairo terms concerning Japanese territory.
Soviet invasion of Manchuria: The Soviet Union’s August 1945 offensive against Japanese forces in Manchuria and neighboring areas. The offensive began after the declaration and helped prompt Japan’s decision to surrender.
Mokusatsu: A Japanese expression used in a public statement about the Potsdam Declaration, commonly translated as “ignore” or “treat with silent contempt.” The ambiguous word in Prime Minister Suzuki’s statement was widely reported as a rejection of the ultimatum.
Winston Churchill: British prime minister during most of the Second World War and again from 1951 to 1955. Churchill represented Britain among the declaration’s issuing leaders before the election brought Clement Attlee to Potsdam.
Soviet–Japanese Neutrality Pact: A 1941 agreement in which the Soviet Union and Japan pledged neutrality toward one another. The Soviet Union was not an original signatory, while its neutrality pact with Japan remained in force when the declaration appeared.

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