Edexcel GCSE History key terms

An attempt to overthrow a government by force.

A member of a Christian religious movement whose beliefs include peace, justice and the equality of all people.

Keeping people apart from others for a period of time to prevent disease spreading.

An area where livestock movements were restricted to prevent the spread of disease.

A false system of ranking human groups as supposedly superior or inferior, used by the Nazis to justify unequal treatment.

Prejudice, discrimination or hostility towards people because of their race or perceived racial identity.

The National Labour Service, which organised labour on public projects. From 1935, six months’ service was compulsory for young men aged 18–25.

Radio Detection and Ranging: technology that uses radio waves to detect objects such as approaching aircraft.

Treatment that uses radiation to destroy cancer cells or shrink tumours.

A place where goods or livestock could be loaded onto trains, linking overland routes to the railway network.

The Royal Army Medical Corps, the British Army organisation whose personnel provided medical care for soldiers.

An armed conflict between rival groups over ranching interests, land or control of local business.

Money or valuables demanded or offered in exchange for releasing a prisoner.

The formal approval needed for a signed treaty to become legally binding on a country.

An explanation based on natural processes rather than supernatural forces; it is not necessarily scientifically correct.

A system that limits how much of a scarce product each person can buy, to manage supplies and distribute them more fairly.

A territory governed by a ruler, such as a king or duke.

The purchasing power of earnings: how much workers can buy after taking account of prices.

The expansion of armed forces and the production of weapons and military equipment.

An act of organised opposition to a ruler or government, often involving armed force.

An area designated to receive and accommodate people evacuated from places at risk.

The restoration of relations after a dispute.

Gathering information about the enemy’s position, strength or movements.

The centuries-long expansion of Christian rule over Muslim-ruled territories in the Iberian Peninsula, ending with the conquest of Granada in 1492.

The process of rebuilding damaged buildings, services and economic life after a war.

The process of bringing people into the armed forces, either as volunteers or through compulsory service.

Refusal to attend the compulsory services of the Church of England; someone who refused was called a recusant.