Glossary of terms
| palliasse | a straw-filled mattress |
| parapet | a low wall along the edge of a tall structure, such as a bridge or roof |
| paratrooper | soldier trained to be dropped by parachute into battle or enemy territory |
| peacekeeper | a member of a peacekeeping force deployed to maintain or restore peace, often defence force or police personnel |
| peacekeeping force | a special force formed to maintain or restore peace |
| peacemaker | a person who brings about peace, especially by reconciling adversaries |
| periscope | a vertical tube inside a submarine that lets a person see above the surface of the water |
| pillbox | a small building made of concrete used to defend a place in a battle |
| pinnace | a small boat carried on a large ship, used to carry goods and people from the ship to the shore |
| plateau | a large area of high and fairly flat land |
| plebiscite | a direct vote by the people of a country or region in which they say whether they agree or disagree with a particular policy |
| posthumous | something that happens after a person's death but relates to something they did before they died |
| prisoners of war | a person who is held captive by a belligerent power, such as their enemy, during or after an armed conflict |
| promontory | a cliff or high point of land that points out into the sea |
| propaganda | biased information that a country or political organisation broadcasts or publishes to influence people |
| Protection Acts | state-based laws of the 1800s and 1900s that forced First Australians to live under the control of a legal protector who managed many aspects of their lives, such as employment and marriage |
| Protectorate | a state that is controlled and protected by another |
| Protestant | a Christian who belongs to the branch of the Christian church that separated from the Catholic Church in the 16th century |
| protocol | a system of rules about the correct way to act in formal situations |