Potsdam Declaration

This declaration was discussed at the Potsdam Conference held in July 1945, and was issued jointly by the leaders of the governments of the United States, the United Kingdom, and China on July 26 of the same year, urging Japan to surrender. The declaration consisted of 13 clauses in total, stating that if Japan continued the war as it was, Japanese land would be completely devastated (clause 3), and that Japan must now decide whether to continue on the path to annihilation or to follow the path of reason (clause 4). It also listed the following conditions for ending the war as demanded by the Allied Powers: (1) the elimination of militarism, (2) the occupation of Japanese territory, (3) the implementation of the terms of the Cairo Declaration and the restriction of Japanese sovereignty to Honshu, Hokkaido, Kyushu, Shikoku, and such minor islands as the Allied Powers would determine, (4) the complete disarmament of Japanese armed forces, (5) severe punishment of war criminals and the establishment of democracy, and (6) the implementation of reparations and the securing of peaceful industries. The Declaration also makes clear that the occupying forces will be withdrawn as soon as these objectives are accomplished and a peaceful, responsible government has been established in accordance with the freely expressed will of the Japanese people (Article 12).

As soon as the Potsdam Declaration was issued, serious debate took place among the leaders of the Japanese government and military as to whether or not to accept it. Although the Japanese government initially announced its refusal, it was finally forced into accepting it as the situation became increasingly hopeless with the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki (August 6 and 9) and the Soviet Union's entry into the war against Japan (August 8). On August 14, the Japanese government decided to accept the declaration, and on the same night, the Imperial Rescript on the Termination of the War was issued.

[Mitsuo Fukaya]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

1945年（昭和20）7月に開かれたポツダム会談で協議されたうえ、同年7月26日、米英中三国政府首脳の連名で日本に対して発せられた降伏勧告の宣言。この宣言は全部で13項からなり、日本がこのまま戦争を継続すれば日本の国土は完全に荒廃してしまうこと（3項）、いまや日本は壊滅への道を続けるかそれとも理性の道を歩むかを決定すべきであること（4項）を述べ、連合国が要求する戦争終結の条件として次のものを掲げている。（1）軍国主義の除去、（2）日本国領土の占領、（3）カイロ宣言の条項の履行、および本州、北海道、九州、四国および連合国が決定する諸小島への日本の主権の制限、（4）日本国軍隊の完全な武装解除、（5）戦争犯罪人に対する厳重な処罰、ならびに民主主義の確立、（6）賠償の実施と平和産業の確保。またこの宣言は、以上の諸目的が達成され、日本国民の自由に表明された意思に従って平和的な傾向をもった責任ある政府が樹立された場合には、ただちに占領軍を撤収することを明らかにしている（12項）。

　ポツダム宣言が発せられるや、日本政府および軍の首脳の間では、それを受諾すべきか否かにつき深刻な討論が闘わされた。日本政府はいったんは拒否を通告したものの、広島や長崎への原爆投下（8月6日、8月9日）、ソ連の対日参戦（8月8日）とますます絶望的な状況へ追いやられたため、ついに受諾するに至った。8月14日、日本政府は宣言の受諾を決定し、同日夜、終戦の詔勅が発せられた。

［深谷満雄］

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