State Historical Society of Iowa

Japanese Instrument of Surrender, September 2, 1945

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Courtesy of National Archives, "Surrender of Japan," 2 September 1945

Description

On September 2, 1945, Japanese representatives signed the official "Instrument of Surrender," prepared by the U.S. War Department and approved by President Harry Truman. That morning, on the deck of the USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay, the Japanese envoys Foreign Minister Mamoru Shigemitsu and General Yoshijiro Umezu signed their names on the Instrument of Surrender. Afterward, General Douglas MacArthur, commander in the Southwest Pacific and Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers, also signed the document. He accepted the Japanese surrender "for the United States, Republic of China, United Kingdom and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, and in the interests of the other United Nations at war with Japan."

Transcript of Japan's Instrument of Surrender

Source-Dependent Questions

  • Using evidence from the source, describe the terms of surrender for Japan.
  • How were the terms of surrender different for Japan than Germany? Use specific evidence from the source in your answer. What might have motivated the different response?

Citation Information

"Surrender of Japan," 2 September 1945. Courtesy of National Archives