Potsdam Declaration: When diplomacy failed, the first atomic bombs fell

An anniversary that receives little attention in Germany: 80 years ago, on July 26, 1945, the Potsdam Declaration was signed, in which the United States, the Soviet Union, China, and Great Britain jointly demanded Japan's unconditional surrender. Japan did not respond, and the atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki followed. To mark the anniversary of the declaration, the Chinese Embassy in Berlin hosted a conference on Thursday.

The event offers important references to current geopolitics. Chinese Ambassador Deng Hongbo stated that the world is currently undergoing a transformation the likes of which it hasn't seen in a hundred years. The post-war order, the United Nations, the UN Charter, and multilateral institutions such as the IMF and the World Bank are threatened with being sacrificed to a new unilateralism. "Dialogue or confrontation" is the challenge of our time.

Holger Friedrich, publisher of the Berliner Zeitung, drew a comparison in his presentation: "The people of East Germany have experienced firsthand how an entire political system can collapse within a very short period of time," said Friedrich. The collective West is currently experiencing this as well: "We are witnessing the end of the unipolar world and the emergence of a multipolar world in which the balances are shifting."

For Beijing, the Potsdam Declaration plays an important role in the debate about the "One China Policy." Beijing maintains that the Potsdam Declaration—in conjunction with the Cairo Declaration—established that there is only one China, and that this right is exercised by the People's Republic. Taipei's reason of state considers the opposite to be true: in 1945, the People's Republic did not even exist. All relevant documents always refer to the "Republic" of China. The declaration was signed by Chiang Kai-shek, who later became ruler of Taiwan. The Americans argue that the document is legally irrelevant anyway. In any case, the document provides ample fuel for a potential war between China and Taiwan—similar to the debate about NATO's eastward expansion before the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

There are different interpretations of the declaration's significance in the West and in China, said Holger Friedrich. At first glance, the debate appears to be a historians' dispute over a theoretical topic: "But in a climate where mutual trust is not particularly high, it is often historical differences that can lead to escalation in a crisis." This should be avoided at all costs, and Germany can play a genuine mediating role here.

The chairman of the Rosa Luxemburg Foundation (RLS), Heinz Bierbaum, followed up on this. "The world is becoming multipolar," he said. But the process is not entirely peaceful. "At the same time, confrontation is increasing," said the chairman of the RLS. The most recent examples are the "horrific war against Iran" and the "genocide in Gaza." The Potsdam Declaration should serve as a lesson for more diplomatic solutions. States of different political systems joined forces at the time to achieve a peaceful solution.

For sinologist Michael Schumann, the Potsdam Declaration offers guidance for today's conflicts. "The international order is being challenged," Schumann said. Diplomatic initiatives from Germany are being missed internationally. Judgments of the International Criminal Court are being ignored. While the German government condemns the Russian attack on Ukraine, it remains silent about the genocide of the Palestinians in Gaza.

Former German Ambassador to Luxembourg, Heinrich Kreft, emphasized that more than 60 million people died in World War II. What is unknown to many in Europe is that, alongside the Soviet Union, China suffered the most casualties. During the ten-year Japanese occupation, an estimated 35 million people were killed in China.

Sinologist Mechthild Leutner recalled that China also helped many Germans during World War II. Although China was the country that fought the longest against the fascist aggressor Japan, it provided extensive humanitarian aid. Germans—especially Jews—who had to flee the Nazi regime were granted visas and asylum, as well as offered jobs in Shanghai and other cities. Germany bears a responsibility based on its history and must therefore promote diplomacy and peaceful cooperation between states.

Kreft, the former German ambassador to Luxembourg, addressed the war in Ukraine. He said Russia's invasion had put European diplomacy to the test. China could play an important role in bringing an end to the war.

On Thursday, EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen was received by Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing. The EU accuses the Chinese government of supporting Russia's war in Ukraine. The Chinese ambassador denied this, saying China's position in the Ukraine war is objective. China does not supply weapons and is committed to negotiations. The People's Republic has published a peace roadmap, which Brazil, among others, has signed up to. Germany and the EU do not support the initiative and have not yet taken any diplomatic steps.