William I. The Silent. 1533-84. Prince of Orange. Dutch leader of Protestant revolt against Philip II of Spain. Founded dynasty to today. Netherlands.

William II. (Wilhelm). 1859-1941. German Emperor 1888-1918. Dismissed Bismarck. Sought world leadership. Precipitated WWI. Abdicated. -“I rule by God’s grace”.

William III. 1650-1702. Prince of Orange 1672-. King of England with Mary II 1689-. Ended War of Grand Alliance 1697. Defeated James II at Battle of Boyne, reconquered Ireland 1690. Declared freedom of worship.

William, Willis. 1883-1963. US poet. Pictures from Brueghel. In the American Grain.

Williams, Ralph Vaughan. Vaughan Williams.

Williams, Roger. c1603-83. English Calvinist founder of Rhode Island, Providence 1636. Introduced separation of church, state.

Wilson, Woodrow. 1856-1924. US president 1913-21. Idealist. Advocated League of Nations. Prohibition. Women’s vote. Attempted to mediate WWI 1917.

Winstanley, Gerrard. c1609-60. Founder of Diggers 1649. True Leveller’s Standard Advanced 1649.

Winterhalter, Franz-Xaver. 1805-73. German royal portrait painter. Empress Eugénie 1854.

Winthrop, John. 1588-1649. English Governor of Massachussets Bay Colony 1629~48 as Theocracy.

Witt, Johan de. 1625-72. Dutch statesman. Rebuilt navy. Led Dutch Wars. Triple Alliance 1668. Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle. Killed by Orangist mob.

Witte, Sergei. 1849-1915. Russian finance minister 1892-1903. Trans-Siberian Railway. Capitalistic policies. First Prime Minister 1905-6.

Wolfe, James. 1727-59. British general. Captured Quebec in Seven Years War 1759.

Wolfram von Eschenbach. 1170-1220. German lyric poet. Parsifal 1202.

Wollstonecraft, Mary. 1759-97. English feminist author. Vindication of the Rights of Women 1792. Mother of Mary W Shelley.

Wolsey, Thomas. c1475-1530. English cardinal. Lord Chancellor to Henry VIII. Lost influence when unable to secure divorce from Catherine of Aragon. Built Hampton Court Palace as gift for Henry VIII. Unpopularity a cause of Reformation.

Women’s Christian Temperance Union. 1874. US movement vs alcoholic drink.

Wood, Grant. 1892-1942. US midwest regionalist painter. American Gothic 1930.

Woodhull, Victoria. 1838-1927. US reformer. First female presidential candidate 1872. Suffrage, free love advocate.

Woolf, Virginia. 1882-1941. English psychological stream of consciousness writer. Captured transience and subtlety of thought. Bloomsbury Group. Mrs Dalloway 1925. To the Lighthouse 1927. Waves 1931.

World Court. 1899 Permanent Court of Arbitration. 1921 Hague Conference created Permanent Court of International Justice. 1945 International Court of Justice.

World War I. 1914-18. Allies-France, British Empire, Russia, Italy, US(1917-) vs Central Powers-Germany, Austria-Hungary, Ottoman Empire. Caused by Nationalist movements, Balkan instability, trade rivalry, alliances. 30M casualties. First tanks, chemical, planes, submarines. Ended Russian, Ottoman, Austria-Hungarian Empires.

World War II. 1939-45. Allies-Britain, France, US(1941-), Russia(1941-) vs Axis-Italy, Germany, Japan, Russia(-1941). Caused by German Totalitarian expansionism resulting from WWI reparations and fear of Communism. 55M dead. 35M wounded. 30M refugees. Cost $US 1500B. Led to United Nations, Soviet power, State of Israel, atomic weapons.

WorldTradeCenter, 1972-2001. New York. Attacked 1993, destroyed September 11, 2001 by al-Qaeda terrorists. Osama bin Laden.

Worms, Concordat of. 1122. Agreement between Pope Calixtus and Emperor Henry V to share power to appoint bishops and abbots. Spiritualia, regalia vested separately.

65 more results ...