What was General Order No. 1’s key instruction to Japan’s armed forces in 1945?

General Order No. 1 instructed Japan’s armed forces to surrender to designated Allied commanders. The order was issued after Japan’s capitulation and established how Japanese forces in different regions would submit to Allied control.

The United States Joint Chiefs of Staff prepared the order, and President Harry Truman approved it on August 17, 1945. General Douglas MacArthur then issued it as Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers. Japanese Imperial General Headquarters transmitted the order to Japan’s forces on September 2.

Besides directing surrender, the order required Japanese commanders to reveal military deployments and preserve equipment for disarmament. It also defined which Allied commanders would receive Japanese forces in various territories, turning the broad political surrender into a practical military process.

General Order No. 1 is especially important for Korea. Japanese forces north of the 38th parallel surrendered to Soviet commanders, while those south of the parallel surrendered to U.S. commanders. The order therefore influenced the postwar division of Korea as well as Japan’s disarmament.