ied linguistics and philosophy at the University of Moscow before becom¬ ing involved in psychological research. While working at Moscow’s Institute of Psychology (1924-34), he became a major figure in post¬ revolutionary Soviet psychology. He studied the role of social and cul¬ tural factors in the making of human consciousness; his theory of signs and their relationship to the development of speech influenced psycholo¬ gists such as A.R. Luria and Jean Piaget. His best-known work. Thought and Language (1934), was briefly suppressed as a threat to Stalinism.
Vyshinsky Wo-'shin-skeX, Andrey (Yanuaryevich) (b. Dec. 10, 1883, Odessa, Russia—d. Nov. 22, 1954, New York, N.Y., U.S.) Soviet politician and diplomat. A public prosecutor, he taught at Moscow State University. Appointed chief prosecutor of the Soviet Union (1935), he gained worldwide notoriety for his zeal in prosecuting the purge trials. As deputy commissar of foreign affairs, he supervised the annexation of Latvia (1940) and established a communist regime in Romania (1945).
He later served as Soviet foreign minister (1949-53) and representative to the UN (1949-54), where he frequently launched bitter attacks on the U.S.
Vytautas \ve-'tau-tas\ the Great Lithuanian Vytautus Didysis (b.
1350, Lithuania—d. Oct. 27, 1430, Trakai, Lith.) Lithuanian national leader. Continuing a family struggle for control of Lithuania, he fought his cousin Wladyslaw II Jagiello but made peace in 1384. His popularity grew until Wladyslaw was obliged to make him vice regent (1392), an office that allowed him to become effective ruler of Lithuania. He sub¬ dued rebellious nobles but was defeated by Mongols in the east (1399). He and Wladyslaw united Lithuania and Poland (1401) and waged war on the Teutonic Order, defeating them at the Battle of Tannenberg (1410). Vytautas was named king of Lithuania in 1429 but died before he could be crowned.
© 2006 Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc.
W particle ► Wagner I 2019
W particle Electrically charged subatomic particle that transmits the weak force, which governs radioactive decay (see radioactivity) in some atomic nuclei. The discovery of the W particle in 1983 by teams led by Carlo Rubbia and Simon van der Meer confirmed the electroweak theory, which explains that the electromagnetic force and the weak force are manifesta¬ tions of the same interaction. The weak force is exchanged via three types of particles, two charged and one neutral. The charged particles are des¬ ignated W + and W - according to the sign of their charge, and the neutral particle is the Z particle. The W particle has a mass about 80 times that of the proton, which gives the weak force a very short range.
Waals, Johannes Diederik van der See Johannes D. van der
Waals
Wabash \'w6-,bash\ River River, flow¬ ing westward across Indiana, U.S. After crossing Indiana, the Wabash forms the 200-mi (320-km) southern section of the Indiana- Illinois boundary below Terre Haute, Ind. It empties into the Ohio River in southwestern Indi¬ ana after a course of 475 mi (764 km). During the 18th century the French used it as a transportation link between Louisiana and Quebec. After the War of 1812, its basin was rapidly developed by settlers.
After the coming of the railroads in the 1850s, navi¬ gation almost disappeared except for barge traffic on its lower course.
WAC See Women's Army Corps
Wace Vwas, 'was\ (b. c. 1100, Jersey, Channel Islands—d. after 1174) Anglo-Norman poet. He is known for his two verse chronicles, the Roman de Brut (1155) and the Roman de Rou (1160-74), named respectively after the reputed founders of the Britons and Normans. The Brut is a romanticized account of Geoffrey of Monmouth’s Historia re gum Britanniae, tracing the history of Britain from its founding by the legendary Brutus the Trojan. Its many fanciful additions (including the story of Arthur’s Round Table) were important in the development of the Arthurian legend, and its literary style influ¬ enced later verse romances. The Rou, commissioned by Henry II of England, is a history of the Norman dukes (c. 911-1106).
Waco \'wa-ko\ City (pop., 2000: 113,726), north-central Texas, U.S. Located on the Brazos River, it was founded in 1849 on the site of an Indian village. After 1865 it became a river-bridge crossing on cattle trails; later its economy was based on cotton. Its diversified economy now includes manufacturing and tourism. A tornado devastated Waco in 1953, killing 114 persons. On April 19, 1993, after a 51-day standoff with U.S. federal agents, some 80 members of the Branch Davidians religious sect perished in a fire at their compound nearby.
Wadai \wa-'dl\ Historical African kingdom, central Africa. Located east of Lake Chad and west of Darfur, it was founded in the 16th century. A Muslim dynasty was established there c. 1630, and, though long subor¬ dinate to Darfur, it became independent by the 1790s and began a period of rapid expansion. It came under French influence in 1899 and French control (1912-14). The area is now largely in eastern Chad.
Wade, Benjamin F(ranklin) (b. Oct. 27, 1800, Springfield, Mass., U.S.—d. March 2, 1878, Jefferson, Ohio) U.S. politician. He practiced law in Ohio before serving in the U.S. Senate (1851-69), where he opposed the extension of slavery and the Kansas-Nebraska Act. In the American Civil War he joined the Radical Republicans in demanding vig¬ orous prosecution of the war and headed a joint congressional committee to investigate the Union military effort. He cosponsored the Wade-Davis Bill, which brought him into conflict with Abraham Lincoln. Opposed to Pres. Andrew Johnson’s Reconstruction policies, he voted for his removal from office at his Senate trial and, as Senate president pro tern, prepared to succeed Johnson. Disappointed by the trial’s outcome, he was later defeated for reelection.
Wade-Davis Bill (1864) Measure passed by the U.S. Congress to set Reconstruction policy. It was cosponsored by Sen. Benjamin Wade and Rep. Henry W. Davis (1817-65) to counter Pres. Abraham Lincoln’s lenient plans for readmitting Southern states after the American Civil War. Sup¬ ported by the Radical Republicans, the bill called for provisional military government of the seceded states, an oath of allegiance from a majority of the state’s whites, and new state constitutions that would abolish sla¬
very and disqualify Confederate officials from holding office. Lincoln considered the bill too harsh and allowed it to expire by using a pocket veto.
wage-price control Setting of government guidelines to limit increases in wages and prices. It is one of the most extreme approaches to incomes policy. By controlling wages and prices, governments hope to control inflation and prevent extremes in the business cycle. Countries with highly centralized methods of setting wages tend to have the greatest degree of public or collective regulation of wage and price levels. For example, wage settlements in The Netherlands must be approved by the government, and price increases are investigated by the Ministry of Eco¬ nomic Affairs. Other countries, including the U.S., have also made efforts at restraining wage and price increases, usu¬ ally seeking the voluntary cooperation of management and labour. In the U.S., wage- price controls were instituted by Pres. Franklin D. Roosevelt during World War II and by Pres. Richard M. Nixon in the early 1970s, when high inflation combined with rising unemployment to create instability.
Wagner \'wag-nor\, Honus orig. John Peter Wagner (b. Feb. 24, 1874, Mansfield, Pa., U.S.—d. Dec. 6, 1955, Carnegie) U.S. baseball player. Wagner played principally for the Pittsburgh Pirates (1900-17) and coached the team from 1933 to 1951. The right-handed hitter led the National League in bat¬ ting average in eight seasons (1900, 1903-04, 1906-09, 1911) and in stolen bases five seasons. His total of 252 three-base hits remains a National League record. Nick¬ named the “Flying Dutchman” for his speed, Wagner is considered one of the greatest shortstops and all-around players in baseball history.