What was General Douglas MacArthur’s surrender directive to Japanese forces called?

General Douglas MacArthur’s surrender directive to Japanese forces was called General Order No. 1.

The order was prepared by the United States Joint Chiefs of Staff and approved by President Harry Truman on 17 August 1945. After the formal surrender, it was issued to Japanese Imperial General Headquarters and distributed to Japanese forces throughout the former empire.

General Order No. 1 instructed Japanese troops to surrender to designated Allied commanders. It also required them to reveal military deployments, preserve equipment, and cooperate with occupation authorities. Its provisions organized the practical transfer from wartime command to Allied control.

The order also established different surrender authorities in Korea. Japanese forces north of the 38th parallel were directed to surrender to Soviet commanders, while those south of the line surrendered to the United States. That arrangement contributed to Korea’s postwar division, although the later permanent division of the peninsula resulted from subsequent political developments.