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.

Volkssturm. 1944. German home defence force.

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

Volunteers, Departure of. 1792. Sang Marseillaise.

V-1, V-2. 1944. WWII German missiles vs Britain, Belgium. V=Vergeltung(Revenge). 8,000 V-1s. 1300 V-2s. Basis for future space research.

Vonnegut, Kurt, Jr. 1922-. US satirical novelist, social critic. Player Piano 1952. Slaughterhouse Five 1969.

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

Vorticism. 1900-20. Art movement of mechanical forms and angles. Lewis. Gaudier-Brzeska.

Vosges, Place de. 1605-12. Paris’ oldest square.

Voting Rights Act. 1965. US eliminates tests that disqualified black voters.

Vries, Hugo de. 1848-1935. Dutch botanist. Heredity and mutation. Mutation Theory 1910.

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

Vulcan. Roman god of destruction, fire, weapons. = Hephaestos.

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

Vyshinsky, Andrei. 1883-1954. Russian statesman, prosecutor for Purge trials.

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.

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