Valdemar I. 1131-82. King of Denmark 1157-. Conquered Norway. Allied with Sweden, France, Holy Roman Empire.

Vaucreuil, Cavagnal, Marquis de. 1698-1765. Governor of New France. Surrendered to Britain 1760. Seven Years War.

Versailles, Palace. 1661-74. Built by Le Vau and Mansart on site of 1623 hunting lodge. Gardens by Le Nôtre.

Versailles, Treaty. 1783. Recognized US Independence. 1871. Bismarck wins Franco-Prussian war. 1919. Ended WWI. Founded League of Nations. Germans to cede territory and pay reparations of £6.6/$32B. Only 1/8 paid when cancelled in 1932. US did not ratify.

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

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

Waldenses. 1170-. Austere heretical Christian sect. Founded by Waldo at Lyons. Persecuted in France, Italy, England.

Washington Conference. 1921-2. Naval arms limitation treaty. Four Power Pacific Treaty: US, Japan, Britain, France.

Watson, James. 1928-. US discoverer of DNA structure 1953 with Crick.

Western European Union. 1948. Britain, France, Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg. 1954 +Italy, Germany. 50 year treaty. NATO. European Defense Community.

Westphalia, Peace of. 1648. Conclusion of the Thirty Years War between Germany, France, and Sweden and Spanish-Dutch 80 Years War. Formal recognition of Swiss independence. Dutch independence. HRE weakened. Religious toleration. Confirmed Augsburg.

Whittle, Frank. 1903-96. British. Invented jet aircraft 1930 First flown 1941.

William I. (Wilhelm) 1797-1888. Hohenzollern King of Prussia 1861-. German Empire. 1871-. Supportedf Bismarck vs Austria and France.

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

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.

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