Which military order directed Japanese forces to surrender to designated Allied commanders?

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

The order was prepared by the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff and approved by President Harry Truman on 17 August 1945. Douglas MacArthur issued it after Japan accepted the Allied surrender terms, and Japanese Imperial General Headquarters distributed it on 2 September.

General Order No. 1 required Japanese forces to stop fighting, remain in their positions, reveal military deployments, and preserve equipment for disarmament. It translated the political surrender into instructions that commanders could carry out across a vast empire.

The order also assigned surrender responsibilities in different regions. In Korea, Japanese forces north of the 38th parallel surrendered to Soviet commanders, while those south of it surrendered to U.S. commanders, helping shape Korea's later division.