The President at lunch with members of the crew of the U. S. S. Augusta, July 12, 1945.

On July 6, 1945, President Truman left Washington for Potsdam, Germany for a conference between the three major Allied Powers - the United States, Great Britain, and the Soviet Union. The President and his party sailed from the United States to Antwerp, Belgium aboard the U. S. S. Augusta and traveled by plane and car to Potsdam. Since the nation was still at war, the President witnessed several military exercises while on board ship, including radar-tracking demonstrations, target practice ships, and the landing of planes on ships at sea. He also participated in an "abandon ship" drill.

The Potsdam Conference was the last major meeting of the leaders of the three main Allied powers and the first of the conferences in which Truman took part. The President met both Josef Stalin and Winston Churchill for the first time at Potsdam. The three leaders and their advisors settled many issues, including the establishment of a Council of Foreign Ministers to further work on the peace treaties, the governing of Germany during occupation by the Allies, German reparations, the methods for handling war criminals, and the admission of the defeated countries to the United Nations.

In addition, Truman, along with Prime Minister Churchill and Generalisimo Chiang-Kai-shek, jointly issued the famous "Potsdam Proclamation" on July 26, which promised "prompt and utter destruction" to Japan if it did not surrender.

• Read The Log of the President's Trip to the Berlin Conference