1. With the 'Go-East Movement gaining popularity, in 1907-08 some 300 Vietnamese students went to Japan to acquire modern education. For many, the primary objective was to drive out the French from Vietnam, overthrow the puppet emperor and re-establish the Nguyen Dynasty. 2. Japan had modernized itself and resisted colonial rule by the Western countries. Additionally, its victory over Russia (1907) proved its military capabilities. Looking for arms and help, these nationalists appealed to Japanese as fellow Asians. In an attempt, Vietnamese students established a branch of Restoration Society in Tokyo but after 1908, the Japanese Ministry of Interior clamped down on them, forcing many to seek exile in China and Thailand. 3. In 1911, the long-established monarchy in China was overthrown by a popular movement under Sun Yat-Sen, and a republic was set up. Inspired by these developments, Vietnamese students also organized the Association for the Restoration of Vietnam Viet-Nam Quan Phuc Hoi)