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.

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.

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

Vuillard, Édouard. 1868-1940. French Nabis Intimist artist. Interiors. Woman Sweeping 1892.

Walking Purchase. 1737. Americans cheat Indians in buying Delaware land by running instead of walking to determine land size. French-Indian Wars 1754-63.

Walloon. French dialect of south Belgium. Flemings.

Walter the Penniless. -1097. French knight. Led Peasants’ Crusade with Peter the Hermit.

Wandiwash, Battle. 1760. British defeat French at Madras. French leave India.

Watteau, Antoine. 1684-1721. French painter known for color and naturalism. Embarcation for Cythera 1717.

Wattignies, Battle. 1793. Inexperienced French army defeats professional Austrians. French Revolution.

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