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

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.

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

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

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

Viet Minh. 1941-51. Communist nationalist coalition vs French in Vietnam.

Viète, François. 1540-1603. French mathematician, algebraic notation. Equation theory.

Vietnam. Annam. 209BC Nam Vet kingdom. 111BC China. 2C Funan, 939 Independent. Khmer, Cham, Mongol invasions repelled. 1407 Ming. 1867 France (S). 1883 Tonkin, Annam French protectorates(N). 1940 Japanese occupy. 1945 Independent. 1946-54 French Indochina War. 1954 Communist Democratic Republic (N). 1955 Republic (S). 1962 Vietnam War. 1976 Socialist Republic of Vietnam 1987 Economic liberalization. 1995 US recognition.

Vigée-Lebrun, Elizabeth. 1755-1842. French portrait painter. Marie-Antoinette.

Vigny, Alfred de. 1797-1863. French Romantic writer. Shakespeare adaptations. Cinq-Mars 1826.

Villars, duc de. 1653-1734. French Marshal. War of Spanish Succession. War of Polish Succession.

Villehardouin, Geoffroi de. c1150-1213. French crusader/historian. Conquête de Constantinopole 1209.

Villeneuve, Pierre. 1763-1806. French admiral defeated at Trafalgar.

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

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.

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

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.

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