Explain any three features of the “go east movement” in Vietnam.

A “go east movement” came up in the first decade of the twentieth century which was a response to the French colonizers. The three features of this movement are as follows:

1. Around 300 Vietnamese students in 1907-08 went to Japan to acquire a modern education with the main objective of driving out the French from Vietnam.

2. With the growth of Nationalist sentiment amongst the Vietnamese, their major aim was to overthrow the puppet emperor and re-establish the Nguyen dynasty that had been removed by the French rulers.

3. In their search of looking for foreign arms and help, they appealed to the Japanese. Regarding them as fellow Asians, they wanted assistance from Japan who had not only resisted colonization by the West and modernized itself but had also proved its military capabilities through its victory over Russia in 1907.

NOTE- Vietnam was colonized by the French. As the French began to bring a change (Education and everyday life) in every sphere of the Vietnamese people, the Vietnamese people made efforts to resist these changes. They saw Japan and China as modern powers and were inspired by their success.