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

Vienna, Congress. 1814-15. Redrew map of Europe after Napoleon. Prussia gains Rhine, Westphalia. Swiss borders and neutrality confirmed. Netherlands created from Holland, Belgium, Luxembourg. Malta and Cape Colony ceded to Britain. Russia gets Poland. Austria trades Netherlands for north Italy. France reduced to 1792 borders. Metternich.

Vienna, Peace. 1606. Ended Hungarian rebellion vs Hapsburgs. Toleration for Protestants.

Vienna, Treaty. 1725. Spain, Austria pledge to aid Stuart restoration in England. 1738 Ends War of Polish Succession. 1809 =Schönbrunn Treaty. 1864 Denmark cedes Schleswig- Holstein to Prussia. 1866 Seven Weeks War. Austria cedes Venice to Italy.

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.

Vietnam War. 1946-54. =Indo China War. 1962-75. Democratic South Vietnam falls to Communists despite US aid to 1973.

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

Vigilante. US extralegal law enforcers on frontier.

Vikings. Scandinavians who raided Europe 530-12C. Discovered Greenland, 982, North America, 10C. Norsemen. Varangians.

Villa, Pancho. 1878-1923. Mexican revolutionary, bandit. Chihuahua governor. 1913-. Overthrew Huerta with Carranza 1914. Raided New Mexico 1916.

Villa-Lobos, Heitor. 1887-1959. Brazilian composer. Blended classic, folk. Amazonas 1929.

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.

Violencia. 1948-62. Spain under Franco. 1946-64. Colombian repression. 200,000 dead.

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

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

Viscount. 4th rank of British peerage, below earl.

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.

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

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

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

Vulgate. 405. Official Latin translation of Bible by St Jerome. First printed 1455.

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