Villeroi. 1644-1730. French Marshal defeated at Ramillies.

Villiers, G. 1592-1628. First Duke of Buckingham. Incompetent favourite of Charles I who dissolved parliament to prevent his impeachment, 1626 causing Civil War.

Villon, François. 1431-63+. French bohemian poet in “jargon”, secret language of Conquillades. Banished. Le Testament 1461.

Vincent de Paul, St. 1581-1660. French priest, known for his charity. Founded Lazarists 1625.

Vincent of Beauvais. c1190-1264. French Dominican priest. Wrote encyclopedic Speculum majus 1259.

Viollet-le-Duc, Eugène. 1814-79. French Gothic Revival architect. Restored Notre-Dame 1841-54, Vincennes. Ste-Chapelle.

Virchow, Rudolf. 1821-1902. German pathologist, anthropologist. Applied microscope to medical research. Cellular pathology 1858.

Vitruvius. 1C BC. Roman architect, writer. De architectura 27BC.

Vitry, Philippe de. 1291-1361. French composer, codified rules of composition. Ars Nova 1320.

Vlachs. 2C-. Latin inhabitants of Dacia.

Vladimir I, St. 956-1015. First Christian Russian ruler. Ordered people to convert.

Vo Nguyen Giap. 1912-. Viet Minh commander 1946-54, 1966-75. Minister of Defence 1954-. Tet Offensive. Defeated Japanese 1942-5, French 1946-54, US 66-76.

Voltaire, François. 1694-1778. French philosopher vs tyranny, bigotry, cruelty. Challenged accepted beliefs. Quotations became revolutionary slogans. Lettres Philosophique 1734. Candide 1758.

V-1, V-2. 1944. WWII German missiles vs Britain, Belgium. V=Vergeltung(Revenge). 8,000 V-1s. 1300 V-2s. Basis for future space research.

Voodoo. Carribean religious cult of ritual and magic. Synthesis of African rites and French Roman Catholicism.

Vorticism. 1900-20. Art movement of mechanical forms and angles. Lewis. Gaudier-Brzeska.

Vries, Hugo de. 1848-1935. Dutch botanist. Heredity and mutation. Mutation Theory 1910.

Vuillard, Édouard. 1868-1940. French Nabis Intimist artist. Interiors. Woman Sweeping 1892.

Wager of Battle. Trial by Combat. 8C-1817. Norse custom in England. Accused challenges accuser to combat-acquitted if he refuses.

Wagner, Richard. 1813-83. German Romantic opera composer/librettist. Leitmotif. Unified drama and music in long and complex operas. Tannhäuser 1845. Lohengrin 1850. Nibelung Ring 1853-76. Tristan and Isolde 1857-9. Parsifal 1882.

Wagram, Battle. 1809. Napoleon defeats Austrian Archduke Charles. Znaim. Schönbrunn Treaty.

Wait. 13C-. City night watchman with pipe or trumpet.

Walachia. 1290 Vlachs settle. 1417 Ottoman suzerainty. 1774 Russia. 1859 +Moldavia =Romania.

Waldenses. 1170-. Austere heretical Christian sect. Founded by Waldo at Lyons. Persecuted in France, Italy, England.

Walesa, Lech. 1943-. Polish Solidarity leader instrumental in forcing decline of Communist rule. President 1990-96.

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