Opium Wars. 1839-42 Hong Kong ceded to Britain. 1856-60. French, British force China to open trade, legalize opium. Demonstrated European weapon superiority. Nanking Treaty.

Orange, House of. French dynasty influential in Netherlands. William I. William III.

Orange Free State. 1820 Boer colony. 1848 British. 1854 Independent. 1900 British. 1910 Union of South Africa. Boer War.

Oranges, War of. 1801. France and Spain defeat and divide Portugal.

Orcagna, Andrea. 1308-68. Florentine painter and sculptor.

Ordeal, Trial by. -1219. English common form of trial. eg: fire, battle, dunking.

Oregon Question. 1818-46. Britain vs US on Canadian border. Treaty established 49°N 1846.

Orff, Carl. 1895-1982. Modern German composer. Straightforward. Carmina Burana 1936.

Orient Express. 1883-1977. Paris-Istanbul train.

Origen. c185-254. Alexandrian. Sought to justify Christianity in terms of Greek philosophy. On First Principles.

Orlando, Vittorio. 1860-1952. Italian Prime Minister 1917-19. Versailles negotiator.

Orléans, Charles, duc d’. 1394-1465. Fought with Armagnacs vs Burgundians. Captured at Agincourt 1415. Ransomed 1440. Last courtly poet of France.

Orléans, Gaston, duc d’. 1608-60. French prince vs Richelieu. Exiled 1632-2. Led Fronde.

Orléans, Louis, duc d’. 1372-1407. Began Armagnac/Burgundy conflict. Assassinated by supporters of John the Fearless.

Orléans, Louis Philippe, duc d’. 1747-93. Became Citizen Égalité 1892. Joined Third Estate. Father of King Louis-Philippe.

Orléans, Siege. 1428-9. 8 month English siege ended by Joan of Arc. Turning point of 100 Years War.

Orlov, Grigory, Count. 1734-83. Russian lover of Catherine II; led coup vs Peter III. Advocated liberating Christians from Ottoman rule.

Ormonde, Duke of. 1610-88. Irish Stuart supporter during Civil War.

Orozco, José. 1883-1949. Mexican mural painter.

Orpheus. Mythical Greek poet. Tamed animals with lyre. Music charmed underworld gods in bid to free wife.

Orsini. 12C-. Influential Roman family. Popes Celestine III, Nicholas III, Benedict XIII.

Orsini Affair. 1858. Unsuccessful plot on Napoleon III led to his interest in Italian unity.

Orthodox Church, Eastern. 1054-. Autonomous Christian churches of Middle East, Eastern Europe, Russia using Byzantine rite. East-West Schism.

Osama bin Laden. 1957-. Wahabi Saudi Arabian construction magnate turned terrorist. World Trade Center. Taliban. al-Qaeda.

Osborne, John. 1929-94. ‘Angry’ English playwright. Entertainer 1951. Look Back in Anger 1956.

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