Week 309 - Allies Issue Potsdam Declaration - WW2 - July 27, 1945

China, Britain, and the US issue a Declaration demanding Japan's unconditional surrender, and promising complete destruction if this does not happen and happen soon. The plan is to for the Americans to use their atomic bombs on Japan if she does not comply, but by the end of the week the Japanese have not replied. They still have hopes for the Soviets to mediate some sort sort of peace. What they don't have is a navy, as its final destruction comes this week.

0:00 INTRO
00:50 RECAP
01:32 THE POTSDAM CONFERENCE
04:41 JAPANESE HOPES
05:56 THE POTSDAM DECLARATION
10:53 THE INITIAL REACTION
14:48 THE END OF THE JAPANESE NAVY
15:05 THE WAR ON LAND
19:10 SUMMARY
19:30 CONCLUSION

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Hosted by: Indy Neidell
Director: Astrid Deinhard
Producers: Astrid Deinhard and Spartacus Olsson
Executive Producers: Astrid Deinhard, Indy Neidell, Spartacus Olsson
Creative Producer: Marek Kamiński
Community Management: Jake McCluskey
Written by: Indy Neidell
Research by: Indy Neidell
Map animations by: Daniel Weiss
Map research by: Sietse Kenter
Edited by: Karolina Dołęga
Artwork and color grading by: Mikołaj Uchman
Sound design by: Marek Kamiński
Colorizations by:
Mikołaj Uchman
Daniel Weiss

Image sources:
National Archives NARA
Naval History and Heritage Command
Narodowe Archiwum Cyfrowe NAC

Soundtracks from Epidemic Sound:
Dark Beginning - Johan Hynynen
Deviation In Time - Johannes Bornlof
Disciples of Sun Tzu - Christian Andersen
Fly Baby Fly - Fabien Tell
Force Matrix - Jon Bjork
Last Point of Safe Return - Fabien Tell
Leave It All Here - Fabien Tell
London - Howard Harper-Barnes
Other Sides of Glory - Fabien Tell
Please Hear Me Out - Philip Ayers
Potential Redemption - Max Anson
Rememberance - Fabien Tell
The Inspector 4 - Johannes Bornlöf
Weapon of Choice - Fabien Tell

A TimeGhost chronological documentary produced by OnLion Entertainment GmbH.

[WorldWarTwo]

It is thanks to the TimeGhost Army that we are able to produce this series. Without them, none of this would have been possible.

[gunman]

A sidenote this week on July 26 1945 is that British minesweeper Vestal will become heavily damaged by a Japanese kamikaze attack near Thailand. She would later be scuttled, becoming the last Royal Navy ship to be sunk in the war.

[indianajones]

Truman: We have a new weapon to end the war with Japan
Stalin: Oh the atomic bomb?
Truman: What?
Stalin: What!

[JesseOaks-efxn]

A much deserved "Thank You" and "Congratulations" for all that you have done in covering World War II.

[scottski]

Sato: "Potsdam is a big scare bomb."
America: "Very poor choice of words."

[gunman]

Another sidenote on July 25 1945 is that Philippe Pétain will cause an uproar when he spoke for the first time during his trial. He claimed that he was deaf and had not heard a thing that had been said in court up to that time. Many in the courtroom did not believe him, pointing out that he had frequently appeared to be listening attentively and fidgeted the most when serious charges were being made against him.

[davidkinsey]

Will Spartacus be covering the Nuremberg Trials in a follow-up to the War Against Humanity sub-series.

[pnutz_]

I know there's still war left, but I'd like to thank all the regulars for posting here over the years - dickson phua/gunman47, indiana jones, gianni, all the others I can't immediately remember, you've all made the chat a great place

Also that Dutch guy that accused me of being a historian back in February 1942 when I made a joke about the imminent removal of the D from ABDA command and how Indonesia was totally defensible guys

[unironically]

just barely a month more to go, it has been an honour watching this journey took place. thanks indy sparta & team! the tense excitement of expecting what's coming makes me can't wait.

[adawd]

From the Great War to World War Two to Korea. I still remember the Hötzendorf socks from way back for some reason.

[Warmaker]

Yes. When the war ends, Nagato is the last Japanese Battleship still afloat. You can even find post-war images online of her in port with US warships like New Jersey. When the Pacific War started, Nagato was also the flagship of Combined Fleet. The message "Niitaka yama nobore, " or "Climb Mount Niitaka" was the code broadcast from her for 1st Air Fleet (Kido Butai) to carry out the attack on Pearl Harbor.

[TheNfl]

That McCain is the grandfather of Senator John McCain

[dereks]

Churchill was the right guy for the war but would be totally the wrong guy for the post-war period. This was demonstrated when he was returned to power in 1951. He could never reconcile himself to the dissolution of the British Empire and wound up as "yesterday's man" plagued with health problems.

[T_Mo]

I recently visited the Churchill War Rooms museum in London. Fascinating place, and it includes a comprehensive history of Mr. Churchill himself. When UK WW II operations no longer required a secure bunker facility, the Brits simply locked the doors to the underground ops room, and didn't open it again for a few decades. It's a remarkable place to visit.

[parsifal]

We all know what we want after the WWII series come to end: 

The 100 years war - week by week!

[thfreakie]

Clement Attlee is not just some footnote at the end of the war either. He was called "the greatest Prime Minister of the 20th century". Despite Britain's unavoidable economic problems at the end of such a long war, he still managed to establish the National Health Service and the foundations of the Welfare State, plus develop an independent British Atomic Weapon. His overall economic policies would not be changed by Labour or Conservative governments until Margaret Thatcher some ~30 years later.

[devvy_]

Truman: So we have this bomb
Stalin: yes thats cute
Churchill: I've been voted out of office
Stalin: *Spits outs vodka*

[philipb]

Following that Churchill lost his parliamentary seat, his wife sought to console him as "a blessing in disguise".

Ahem... "It's a rather convincing disguise."

[SmilingIbis]

And so the sad and senseless denouement of the war drags on another week. Churchill picked an apt title for his book "Triumph and Tragedy."

[sheevpalpatine]

Thanks Timeghost. Can’t believe this great series is almost over!!!