H199 Excerpts from the Potsdam Declaration
The Proclamation Defining Terms for Japanese Surrender
Issued, at Potsdam, July 26, 1945,
The first three (3) paragraphs are not showing here; we begin with Paragraph #4 of the original:
4. The time has come for Japan to decide whether she will continue to be controlled by those self-willed militaristic advisers whose unintelligent calculations have brought the Empire of Japan to the threshold of annihilation, or whether she will follow the path of reason.
5. Following are our terms. We will not deviate from them. There are no alternatives. We shall brook no delay.
6. There must be eliminated for all time the authority and influence of those who have deceived and misled the people of Japan into embarking on world conquest, for we insist that a new order of peace, security and justice will be impossible until irresponsible militarism is driven from the world.
7. Until such a new order is established and until there is convincing proof that Japan's war-making power is destroyed, points in Japanese territory to be designated by the Allies shall be occupied to secure the achievement of the basic objectives we are here setting forth.
8. The terms of the Cairo Declaration shall be carried out and Japanese sovereignty shall be limited to the islands of Honshu, Hokkaido, Kyushu, Shikoku and such minor islands as we determine.
9. The Japanese military forces, after being completely disarmed, shall be permitted to return to their homes with the opportunity to lead peaceful and productive lives.
11. Japan shall be permitted to maintain such industries as will sustain her economy and permit the exaction of just reparations in kind, but not those which would enable her to re-arm for war. To this end, access to, as distinguished from control of, raw materials shall be permitted. Eventual Japanese participation in world trade relations shall be permitted.
12. [This is the infamous Paragraph 12 of the original, complete Proclamation. The Proposed draft language (ultimately rejected for inclusion) that would have signalled Allied willingness to allow Japan to retain its monarchy is included here in italics.]
The occupying forces of the Allies shall be withdrawn from Japan as soon as these objectives have been accomplished and there has been established in accordance with the freely expressed will of the Japanese people a peacefully inclined and responsible government [of a character representative of the Japanese people]. This may include a constitutional monarchy under the present dynasty if it be shown to the complete satisfaction of the world that such a government will never again aspire to aggression.
NOTE:This is the language that many feel would have satisfied Japanese leaders and enabled them to accept the terms of the Potsdam Proclamation in late July making an invasion of Japan moot and the use of atomic weapons completely unnecessary.
13. We call upon the government of Japan to proclaim now the unconditional surrender of all Japanese armed forces, and to provide proper and adequate assurances of their good faith in such action. The alternative for Japan is prompt and utter destruction.
NOTE: Not only was the conciliatory language ommitted but reiteration of the phrase "unconditional surrender" signalled to the diehard militarists in the Japanese Cabinet that nothing had changed and that the Allies would most assuredly target Emperor Hirohito's throne for elmination and seek to try the Emperor himself as a War Criminal and possibly execute him. Their only recourse would be to dig in and refuse to accept such terms.