What document directed Japanese forces where to surrender after Japan accepted Allied terms in 1945?

General Order No. 1 directed Japanese forces where to surrender after Japan accepted Allied terms in 1945. It was approved by President Harry Truman on August 17 and issued by General Douglas MacArthur on September 2.

The order required Japanese forces to surrender to designated Allied commanders, disclose their military deployments, and preserve equipment for disarmament. It translated the political surrender into practical instructions for troops scattered across Asia and the Pacific.

General Order No. 1 also divided surrender responsibilities among Allied commands. Japanese forces north of the 38th parallel in Korea were ordered to surrender to Soviet forces, while those south of the line surrendered to U.S. forces. Other territories were assigned to American, Chinese, British, Australian, or French commanders.

The document is distinct from the Japanese Instrument of Surrender. The instrument recorded Japan’s capitulation, while General Order No. 1 explained how Japanese units were to carry it out across the former empire.