Third Reich
| Automatons led by a lunatic who looked like Charlie Chaplin |
| Notable figures |
| The Third Reich |
| Neo-Nazism |
The term "Drittes Reich" (Third Reich) refers to the country of Germany while under the rule of Adolf Hitler's Nazi Party from 1933 until 1945.
Reich is a German word that does not translate easily into English. It is related to the English word "rich" (meaning "wealthy"), and when "reich" is used as an adjective, means exactly that in German. However, as a noun, it more correctly translates as "realm", although it is more commonly translated into English as "empire". The German word for "empire" (a monarchy ruled by an emperor) is Kaiserreich ("emperor's realm"), while a kingdom is a Königreich ("king's realm")- this use still exists in English, with the old term bishopric, a place where a bishop is in charge.
In an effort to lend legitimacy to his reign, Hitler's goons propagandists tried to link his "empire" with historical German empires that they considered to be terrific. The informal link was to consider the Holy Roman Empire, which is usually said to have lasted from the 900's until 1806, to be the "First Reich"; and the German Empire, as it existed from 1871 until 1918, as the "Second Reich". According to the Nazis, Hitler's new "German Empire" would be the third and greatest of these. Germany's defeat in World War II brought that idea to an abrupt end.
The official name of the German Empire (1871-1918) was the Deutsches Reich ("German Realm" or "German Empire"). After the monarchy was abolished at the end of World War I, a republic was declared; however, the official name of Germany remained Deutsches Reich, and this continued into the Nazi reign. Once Germany started conquering other countries, especially fellow German-speaking Austria, the name was changed to Großdeutsches Reich ("Groß" meaning "Grand" or "Great", thus "Great German Realm"), and the Nazi government actually forbade the use of the term "Third Reich" in 1939.