General Order No. 1 instructed Japanese forces to surrender to designated Allied commanders after Japan’s 1945 surrender.
The order was prepared by the United States Joint Chiefs of Staff and approved by President Harry Truman on 17 August 1945. General Douglas MacArthur issued it to Japanese representatives after the surrender decision, and Japanese Imperial General Headquarters then transmitted it to Japanese forces.
The order required Japanese units to disclose their military positions, preserve equipment, and surrender according to the Allied command responsible for each area. It also established practical arrangements for disarmament and occupation.
Its geographic instructions had major consequences beyond Japan itself. Japanese forces north of the 38th parallel in Korea were directed to surrender to Soviet forces, while those south of the parallel surrendered to U.S. forces. This helped produce the postwar division of Korea.