Vespucci, Amerigo. 1454-1512. Florentine explorer who concluded America was not Asia. Name “America”.

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

Victory, HMS. Oldest commissioned British warship. Launched 1765. Nelson’s flagship 1797-1805. Trafalgar.

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.

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.

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

Villiers, G. 1592-1628. First Duke of Buckingham. Incompetent favourite of Charles I who dissolved parliament to prevent his impeachment, 1626 causing Civil War.

Virginius Affair. 1873. Spain siezes US flagged Cuban ship, Virginius. Executes 53 for smuggling arms to Cuba during Ten Years War. Indemnity paid to US, Great Britain.

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

Vivian. Wanton. Captured Merlin in Arthurian legend.

Wade-Davis Bill. 1864. Strict terms for US Reconstruction vetoed by Lincoln.

Wafd. 1918-52. Egyptian nationalist party. Dissolved by Revolution.

Wager of Battle. Trial by Combat. 8C-1817. Norse custom in England. Accused challenges accuser to combat-acquitted if he refuses.

Wagner, Richard. 1813-83. German Romantic opera composer/librettist. Leitmotif. Unified drama and music in long and complex operas. Tannhäuser 1845. Lohengrin 1850. Nibelung Ring 1853-76. Tristan and Isolde 1857-9. Parsifal 1882.

Wagram, Battle. 1809. Napoleon defeats Austrian Archduke Charles. Znaim. Schönbrunn Treaty.

Wahabi. 18-19C. Militant Moslem Arab Puritan sect. Fought Porte 1813-15. Invaded Kuwait 1919,27,28; repulsed with British help. 2001 World Trade Center. Taliban.

Wailing Wall, Battle. 1929. Jews battle Moslems.

Wairau Affray. 1843. Maori kill 22 English Settlers in New Zealand. Maori Wars.

Wait. 13C-. City night watchman with pipe or trumpet.

Waìtangi, Treaty. 1840. Britain annexes New Zealand from Maori.

Wakefield, Battle. 1460. War of Roses. 1643 English Civil War.

Wakley. Founded Lancet (British medical journal), 1823.

Waksman, Selman. 1888-1973. Ukraine/US Streptomycin 1943.

Walachia. 1290 Vlachs settle. 1417 Ottoman suzerainty. 1774 Russia. 1859 +Moldavia =Romania.

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