Van de Graaff, Robert. 1901-67. US physicist. Particle accelerator 1929. High voltage generator 1932.

Van Loo, Carl. 1705-65. French Rococo portrait painter.

Vandals. Germans fleeing Huns, invaded Gaul, Spain 409 and Africa 429-534. Sacked Rome 455. Arians, persecuted other Christians. Routed by Byzantines 533.

Varangian Guard. 977-15C. Byzantine infantry recruited from Scandinavia and later England.

Varèse, Edgard. 1883-1965. French composer of dissonant electronic music. Hyperprism 1923.

Vasarely, Victor. 1908-97. Hungarian/French Op art kinetic painter.

Vauban, Sébastien de. 1633-1707. French military engineer. Invented trenches 1673, socket bayonet 1688.

Vaucreuil, Cavagnal, Marquis de. 1698-1765. Governor of New France. Surrendered to Britain 1760. Seven Years War.

Vedanta. Philosophy of Hinduism from 6C BC Upanishads. Developed by Sankara 7C and Ramanuja 11C.

Velázquez, Diego. 1599-1660. Spanish Naturalist court painter. Old Woman Frying Eggs 1618. Coronation of the Virgin 1641. Philip IV 1644. Surrender of Breda. Borrachos. Venus and Mirror 1655.

Vendée, Wars. French Royalist uprisings of 1793,4,9, 1815,32.

Verdun. 1916. Battle in which French repulsed the Germans. 750,000 casualties.

Vereeniging, Treaty. 1902. Ended Boer War. Transvaal, Orange Free State become British Crown Colony.

Vergennes, Charles, Compte de. 1719-87. French foreign minister. Allied with American revolutionaries. Treaty of Paris 1783.

Verlaine, Paul. 1844-96. French pre-Symbolist lyric poet. Parnasse Contemporain 1866. Bonne Chanson 1870.

Verne, Jules. 1828-1905. French Science Fiction fantasy writer. Voyage to the Centre of the Earth 864. 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea 1870. Round the World in 80 Days 1873.

Vernier, Pierre. 1580-1637. French inventor of graduated precision scale.

Verona Congress. 1822. Last Holy Alliance congress. Authorized French intervention in Spanish revolution. British opposed intervention in New Spain. Failure of Congress System.

Versailles, Palace. 1661-74. Built by Le Vau and Mansart on site of 1623 hunting lodge. Gardens by Le Nôtre.

Versailles, Treaty. 1783. Recognized US Independence. 1871. Bismarck wins Franco-Prussian war. 1919. Ended WWI. Founded League of Nations. Germans to cede territory and pay reparations of £6.6/$32B. Only 1/8 paid when cancelled in 1932. US did not ratify.

Vervins, Treaty. 1598. Spain withdraws support of French Catholic League. Ends Franco-Spanish War. Spanish acquisitions returned to France.

Verwoerd, Hendrik. 1901-66. South African Prime Minister 1958-66. Apartheid. Left Commonwealth 1961. Assassinated.

Viau, Théophile. 1590-1626. French pre-Classical poet, dramatist. Pyramus and Thisbe 1623.

Vichy. Seat of Pétain’s pro-German government, 1940-44 in unoccupied southern France. Source of waters famous since Roman times.

Vidocq, François. 1775-1857. French adventurer, petty criminal. Organizer of Police de Sûreté. Thieves 1837.

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