Vasa. 1523-1818. Swedish dynasty. Ruled Poland 1587-1668. Dominated 17C Baltic.

Vaughan Williams, Ralph. 1872-1958. English Nationalist composer of symphonies, ballads, songs. Combined folk idiom with 16C polyphony. Sea 1910. Pastoral Symphony 1922.

Vendôme Column. Paris. 1805. Has had statues of Napoleon as Caesar, Henry IV, a Fleur-de-lys, Napoleon in uniform, and now a copy of the original.

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.

Vienna, Siege of. 1683. Poles aid Austrians in repelling Turks.

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.

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.

Vilnius Dispute. 1919-39. Poland, Lithuania dispute over city.

Virchow, Rudolf. 1821-1902. German pathologist, anthropologist. Applied microscope to medical research. Cellular pathology 1858.

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

Walesa, Lech. 1943-. Polish Solidarity leader instrumental in forcing decline of Communist rule. President 1990-96.

Walpole, Horace. 1717-97. English writer, connoisseur. First Gothic Romance. Castle of Otranto 1765.

Walpole, Robert. 1676-1745. English Whig. First Prime Minister 1721-42. Free trade and peace.

Warsaw. 1596 Polish capital. 1655 Sweden destroys. 1795 Prussia. 1807 Napoleon creates Duchy. 1813 Russia. 1815 Kingdom of Poland. 1939-45 Germany occupies.

Warsaw Pact. 1955-91. USSR, Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, E Germany, Hungary, Poland, Romania. Treaty for the combined defence of Eastern Europe under Soviet supreme command.

Warsaw Uprising. 1830-1. Czartoryski attempt to oust Russians crushed. 1944. Polish underground army defeats Germans but Soviet delay allows German reinforcements to defeat Poles, destroying potential opposition to later Soviet control.

Watergate. 1972-4. US political scandal over burglary of Democratic headquarters. Cover up led to Nixon’s resignation.

Waterloo, Battle. 1815. Final defeat of Napoleon by Wellington and Blücher.

Wehlau, Treaty. 1657. Poland renounces suzerainty over Prussia.

Weill, Kurt. 1900-50. German surrealist satirical opera composer. Socio-political operas of great influence on future composers. ThreePenny Opera 1928 with Brecht. Happy End 1929.

Weizmann, Chaim. 1874-1952. Russian/Polish Zionist. First President of Israel 1949-52.

Western Sahara. Spanish Sahara. 1976-91 Mauritania, Morocco, Polisario Independence Front dispute. 1991- awaiting referendum.

Whig. 1679-19C. British political party =Liberal. Originally to oppose James II. Came to represent wealthy middle class. Tory.

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