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AP®HistoryCollege BoardUS HistoryExam QuestionsPeriod 7: 1890-1945Postwar Diplomacy

Postwar Diplomacy (College Board AP® US History): Exam Questions

3 mins3 questions
11 mark

"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." 

Potsdam Declaration, July 26, 1945.

Which of the following best describes the primary objective of the Potsdam Declaration as reflected in the excerpt?

  • Negotiate a conditional peace treaty with Japan

  • Demand Japan's unconditional surrender to end World War II

  • Warn Japan about the potential use of atomic weapons to end World War II

  • Outline postwar economic assistance for Japan

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21 mark

"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." 

Potsdam Declaration, July 26, 1945.

The Potsdam Declaration reflected broader Allied strategies for concluding the war in the Pacific because it

  • Emphasized decisive, militant actions to force Japan’s surrender and end World War II

  • Prioritized an intensified “island-hopping” strategy to capture remaining Japanese-held territories

  • Advocated for diplomatic engagement with Japan to negotiate a conditional surrender

  • Relied on securing Soviet support for an invasion of the Japanese mainland

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31 mark

"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." 

Potsdam Declaration, July 26, 1945.

The government’s approach to Japan in this excerpt is similar to

  • Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation

  • Theodore Roosevelt’s Roosevelt Corollary

  • Woodrow Wilson’s Fourteen Points

  • Franklin Roosevelt’s Atlantic Charter

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