Third Reich
English
editAlternative forms
editEtymology
editPartial calque of German Drittes Reich (literally “third empire, third realm”). The first “Reich” in this reckoning is the Holy Roman Empire and the second is the German Empire. The Weimar Republic, although officially called Deutsches Reich as well, was rejected by the National Socialists and therefore not counted in.
Proper noun
edit- (historical) Synonym of Nazi Germany.
Usage notes
edit- Reich in German does not have all of the same connotations as empire does in English. Notably, it does not imply the existence of a monarchy.
Related terms
editTranslations
editGermany under the Nazi regime
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Further reading
edit- Third Reich on Wikipedia.Wikipedia