What was the title of the Allied order that directed Japanese forces to surrender after 1945?

General Order No. 1 directed Japanese forces to surrender to designated Allied commanders after 1945.

The order was prepared by the United States Joint Chiefs of Staff and approved by President Harry Truman on 17 August 1945. General Douglas MacArthur issued it after Japan’s surrender announcement, and Japanese Imperial General Headquarters distributed it to Japanese forces on 2 September.

The order required Japanese commanders to reveal their deployments, preserve military equipment, and surrender to the Allied commander assigned to their area. It converted the political decision to surrender into detailed military instructions across a vast region.

One important provision divided surrender responsibilities in Korea at the 38th parallel. Japanese forces north of the line surrendered to Soviet forces, while those south of it surrendered to U.S. forces. That temporary military arrangement helped shape Korea’s later division.