What was the number of the surrender order issued by Douglas MacArthur to Japanese forces in 1945?

General Order No. 1 was the surrender order issued by Douglas MacArthur to Japanese forces in 1945.

The order was prepared by the United States Joint Chiefs of Staff and approved by President Harry Truman on August 17, 1945. After the formal surrender, MacArthur issued it to Japan’s representatives, and Japanese Imperial General Headquarters transmitted it to Japanese forces.

General Order No. 1 directed Japanese forces to surrender to specified Allied commanders, disclose military deployments, and preserve equipment for disarmament. It also established surrender arrangements across Japanese-controlled territories in Asia and the Pacific.

The order had important consequences in Korea. Japanese forces north of the 38th parallel were instructed to surrender to Soviet forces, while those south of the parallel surrendered to American forces. The order is distinct from the Japanese Instrument of Surrender: the instrument formalized capitulation, while General Order No. 1 provided operational instructions for carrying it out.