What was the title of the U.S. military order directing Japan’s forces to surrender in 1945?

General Order No. 1 was the U.S. military order directing Japan’s forces to surrender in 1945.

The United States Joint Chiefs of Staff prepared the order, and President Harry Truman approved it on August 17, 1945. General Douglas MacArthur issued it to Japanese representatives after the surrender announcement and formal signing process.

The order instructed Japanese forces to surrender to designated Allied commanders, disclose military deployments, and preserve equipment for disarmament. It also established how Japanese forces in different regions would submit to Allied authorities.

One important consequence involved Korea. Japanese forces north of the 38th parallel were ordered to surrender to Soviet commanders, while those south of the parallel surrendered to U.S. forces. This wartime administrative boundary later became central to the division of Korea and the events leading to the Korean War.