AQA GCSE History key terms

A person forced to leave their home by events such as war or persecution; after the Second World War, many displaced Europeans could not safely return home.

The money available to a person or household after paying taxes.

Cutting open a dead body to examine its internal structures.

A person who challenges or criticises the political system under which they live.

Henry VIII’s closure of monasteries and nunneries and the seizure of their land and wealth by the Crown.

The belief that a monarch’s authority to rule comes from God.

A Company policy used to annex Indian states when their ruler died without an heir recognised by the Company.

The ‘stab-in-the-back’ accusation that civilian politicians had betrayed Germany by accepting defeat. It was a nationalist claim, not an established fact.

The written record of William I’s survey, ordered in December 1085 and carried out in 1086, recording landholders, resources and land values to support royal government.

The belief that if one country became communist, neighbouring countries would follow, like a row of falling dominoes.

The expectation that women would perform paid work while remaining responsible for housework and family care.

A short, close-fitting jacket worn by men, made from materials ranging from wool and leather to expensive fabrics.

A wartime campaign calling for victory over the Axis powers overseas and victory over racial discrimination at home.

Property or money provided as part of a marriage settlement.

A type of heavily armed battleship pioneered by HMS Dreadnought in 1906, combining powerful large-calibre guns with greater speed than older battleships.

Methods of cultivating land to conserve scarce moisture and grow crops in areas with little rainfall.

The sharing of authority in 1917 between the Provisional Government and the Petrograd Soviet, which commanded considerable support among workers and soldiers.

The Russian parliament established following the 1905 Revolution.

The name given to drought-stricken parts of the American Great Plains where exposed topsoil was blown away in severe dust storms during the 1930s.

A conflict over which ruling family or claimant should hold the throne.

A powerful noble who governed a large region called an earldom on behalf of the king.

An English trading company established by royal charter in 1600, whose powers later included governing overseas settlements and raising armed forces to protect its trade.

A period of rapid growth in economic activity, including production, sales and business profits.

Money, labour, land, raw materials and other assets used to produce wealth or sustain power.

Restrictions imposed on a country to put pressure on its government, such as bans on trade.

The production, distribution and consumption of goods and services, including employment, trade and money.

Edward I’s order of 18 July 1290 requiring Jewish people to leave England by 1 November.