Glossary of terms
| offensive | a carefully planned attack made by a large formation or group of soldiers |
| Order of Battle | the units, formation and equipment of a military force; might include its identification, strength and command structure, and the disposition of the personnel |
| Ottoman Empire | the former Turkish empire in Europe, Asia and Africa, from the late 13th century until the end of World War I |
| outflank | to go around the flank of an opposing army by moving past it so it can be attacked from the side |
| outpost | a small group of buildings used for military purposes in a distant part of the country or in a foreign country |
| 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 |
| quarantine | method of keeping some people or animals separate from others for a set period of time, usually to prevent spread of disease in a population |
| rating | a junior enlisted member of a navy who is not a warrant officer or commissioned officer |
| recolonise | to colonise a foreign place again, by living there and taking control of it |
| reconnaissance | an activity to obtain military information about a place by sending soldiers or planes there or by using satellite data |
| referendum | a national vote for people to decide whether or not they agree with a policy |
| refugee | a person forced to leave their country or homeland because of war or their political or religious beliefs |
| Reichsmark | standard monetary unit of Germany between 1924 and 1948 |
| reinforcements | extra people in a military force who are sent to help or to replace those who have been killed or wounded |
| rendezvous | a meeting place that's been arranged between 2 or more people, often in secret |
| reparation | a sum of money paid after a war by the defeated country for the damage and injuries it caused in other countries |
| repatriation | returning a veteran home after they have been injured, become sick or been killed in another country; also refers to returning a military force when conflict has ceased |
| reservist | soldier who is not serving in the regular army of a country, but can be called to serve when needed |
| Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) | the official name of the aerial warfare force in Australia since 31 March 1921. |
| Royal Australian Navy (RAN) | the official name of the naval force in Australia since 10 July 1911; since 1 March 1901, it had been called the Commonwealth Naval Forces. |
| sabotage | to deliberately damage or destroy an object during a war |
| salient | a battlefield feature or bulge that projects into enemy territory, making troops vulnerable to enemy troops on multiple sides |
| salvage | to save useful or valuable items from a damaged ship or building |
| salvo | the firing of several guns or missiles at the same time in a battle |
| sanctions | measures taken by countries to restrict trade and official contact with a country that has broken international law |
| sapper | a soldier whose job is to do building, digging and similar construction work |
| scapegoat | a person who is publicly blamed for something bad that has happened, even though it was not their fault |
| screening | a military tactic that uses either a body of cavalry to screen the advance of an attacking infantry force or a naval force to protect the main body of ships |
| scuttle | to sink a ship deliberately |
| separatist | a person who wants their own separate government or is involved in separatist activities |
| serge | a strong woollen cloth used to make clothes, such as nurses' uniform dresses |
| shell | a metal container full of an explosive substance and fired from a large gun; (verb) to fire shells at something from a large gun - shelled, shelling, shellfire |