Virginia Company. London. 1606-24. To colonize North America. Founded Jamestown 1607.

Virginia Declaration of Rights. 1776. Model for US Bill of Rights.

Virginius Affair. 1873. Spain siezes US flagged Cuban ship, Virginius. Executes 53 for smuggling arms to Cuba during Ten Years War. Indemnity paid to US, Great Britain.

Viriathus. -c139BC. Lusitanian herdsman. Led successful revolt vs Rome c147-139BC.

Vishnu. Hindu god. Preserver of world and moral order.

Visigoths. 376-711. Western Goths. Alaric sacked Rome 410. Defeated at Vouillé by Clovis 510. Settled Spain, southern France 415-711. Destroyed by Moors 711.

Vitalism. Bergson’s theory of evolution. Life force differentiates living things from others. Aristotle.

Vitoria. 1813. Wellington victory, liberated Spain from France. Peninsular War.

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

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

Vivaldi, Antonio. 1678-1741. Venetian violinist, Baroque composer. Standard concerto pattern; more than 500 concertos. Four Seasons 1725.

Vivian. Wanton. Captured Merlin in Arthurian legend.

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.

Volkssturm. 1944. German home defence force.

Volsci. -338BC. Italian peoples conquered by Rome.

Volstead Act. 1919-33. Enforced US Prohibition.

Volta, Alessandro. 1745-1827. Italian physicist: electric battery 1800.

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

Volunteers, Departure of. 1792. Sang Marseillaise.

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

Voroshilov, Kliment. 1881-1969. Soviet Head of State 1953-60.

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

Vosges, Place de. 1605-12. Paris’ oldest square.

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