General Order No. 1 directed Japanese forces to surrender to designated Allied commanders in 1945.
The United States Joint Chiefs of Staff prepared the order, and President Harry Truman approved it on August 17, 1945. Douglas MacArthur issued it after Japan’s surrender, and the Japanese Imperial General Headquarters transmitted it to Japanese forces on September 2.
The order did more than announce capitulation. It required Japanese forces to reveal their positions, preserve military equipment, and follow instructions for disarmament. It also established which Allied commanders would receive surrender in different regions controlled by Japan.
One especially consequential provision divided surrender arrangements in Korea at the 38th parallel. Japanese forces north of the line were directed to surrender to Soviet commanders, while those south of it were directed to surrender to American commanders. This wartime administrative boundary later became central to the division of Korea into two occupation zones.