Question

Can anyone please explain about the "Go East Movement"? And what was its Outcome?

Answer 1

Hint: In order to receive this intelligence from Japan, these Vietnamese created the Restoration Society in Tokyo in 1908, joined the Asian army, and used it to evict the French from Vietnam. However, this did not work out, as many of them were deported and others were taken into exile in China and Thailand.

Complete answer:
In the twentieth century, the 'Go East Movement' was a popular movement in Vietnam. Vietnamese had strong ties to Japan and China, and Japan had developed and conquered Russia at the time. As a result, tens of thousands of Vietnamese students have travelled to Japan to further their studies. As a result, the movement grew in popularity. The Vietnamese desired more than just education; they wanted to expel the French and restore the Nguyen dynasty, which had been toppled by the French.

The following are some of the key characteristics of the ‘Go East Movement':
- In the first decade of the twentieth century, the Go East Movement established a foothold in Vietnam. Around 300 Vietnamese students went to Japan in 1907-08 to pursue contemporary education.
- The Go East Movement's main goal was to drive the French out of Vietnam, topple the puppet Emperor, and restore the Nguyen dynasty, which had been ousted by France.
- Japan had gone through a huge modernisation and industrialisation process and had successfully rejected Western imperialism. It had even vanquished Russia and demonstrated its military superiority in 1907.
- As a result, as fellow Asians, Vietnamese nationalists sought armaments and tactical assistance from the Japanese.
- In Tokyo, the Vietnamese students had created a Restoration Society section. In 1908, however, the Japanese Ministry of Interior took action against them. Many activists, such as Phan Boi Chau, were deported and forced to seek asylum in China and Thailand.

Note: The Vietnam War was a lengthy, expensive, and controversial battle that pitted North Vietnam's communist government against South Vietnam and its main ally, the US. The ongoing Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union exacerbated the issue.