General Order No. 1 was the Allied directive that assigned Japanese forces to surrender to different occupying powers in 1945.
The United States Joint Chiefs of Staff prepared the order, and President Harry Truman approved it on August 17, 1945. It instructed Japanese forces across the empire to cease hostilities, disarm, and surrender to specified Allied commanders.
The order divided responsibility geographically. Japanese forces north of the 38th parallel in Korea surrendered to Soviet forces, while those south of the line surrendered to the American commander. Other regions were assigned to Chinese, British, Australian, or other Allied authorities.
This directive was more than a battlefield instruction: it helped establish the occupation map that shaped postwar East Asia. The 38th parallel later became the dividing line between Soviet- and U.S.-administered Korea, contributing to the creation of North and South Korea.