Deutsches Reich
Encyclopedia
Deutsches Reich (ˈdɔʏtʃəs 'raɪç) was the official name for Germany
from 1871 to 1945 in the German language
.
As the literal English translation "German Empire
" denotes a monarchy, the term is used only in reference to Germany prior to the fall of the monarchies at the end of World War I
in 1918. To refer to the entire 1871-1945 period, the partially translated "German Reich" (ˈ), which has no monarchical connotations, is often used. Informally, this nation was also simply known as Germany.
The name "Deutsches Reich" was also often applied in contemporary maps to the Holy Roman Empire
(911–1806). The history of Germany
during the time of the German Reich is conventionally broken into three distinct periods:
Like its Latin counterpart, imperium, the word reich does not necessarily connote a monarchy; the Weimar Republic and Nazi Germany used the name Deutsches Reich, while both were at least de jure republican in structure.
Following the de-facto annexation of Austria
in 1938, Germany informally named itself the Greater German Reich . This name was made the official state name only during the last two years (1943–45) of Nazi rule.
— is known in English as the "German Empire", while the term "German Reich" describes Germany from 1871 to 1945.
After the unification of Germany
during the reign of Wilhelm I and his Chancellor Otto von Bismarck
, the German kingdoms (e.g. Prussia
, Bavaria
, etc.) were united under imperial rule by the House of Hohenzollern
and in 1871, the German Reich was officially declared as "Deutsches Reich" or the German Empire.
It is important to note that before and during the events of World War I
, the German state was called an "empire" in English and Wilhelm II was titled "His Imperial and Royal Majesty The German Emperor." After the War and the abolition of the monarchy, however, when Wilhelm was forced to abdicate, the official English name for Germany was the "German Reich." "Reich" was left untranslated and no longer referred to an empire. Instead, it took on the connotation of "Realm" or "State." "German Reich" was used on legal documents and English-language international treaties — for example, the Kellogg–Briand Pact and the Geneva Conventions
. If the term "Empire" were still considered valid at this point, it would have been used on these documents instead of "Reich".
Apart from official documents, post-WWI Germany was referred to as the "German Reich" — never as the "German Empire" — for example, by British politicians and the word "Reich" was used untranslated by Allied prosecutors throughout the Nuremberg Trials
, with "German Empire" only used to signify pre-1918 Germany.
The fact that the word "Reich" was never translated to "Empire" after 1918 has to do with the somewhat untranslatable nature of the word. In German, "Reich" does not presuppose a monarchical form of government, but in English, the word "Empire" almost certainly does, notwithstanding the fact that the Latin
word imperium
, from which "empire" is derived, does not actually connote a monarchy. Old English had the word "rīc" which was cognate with Reich, but this term has long since fallen out of use, except perhaps in the compound "bishopric".
of the Wehrmacht
was handed over to the Allies
. The Allies refused to recognise Karl Dönitz
as Reichspräsident
or to recognise the legitimacy of his Flensburg government
(so-called because it was based at Flensburg
and controlled only a small area around the town) and, on 5 June 1945, the four powers signed the Declaration Regarding the Defeat of Germany in Berlin, creating the Allied Control Council
, and assumed de jure supreme authority with respect to Germany.
(Bundesverfassungsgericht) ruled that the Federal Republic of Germany
(FRG) is identical with the German Reich and not merely its legal successor
. The court also explained that the FRG had only partial identity in questions concerning the territory because the German Democratic Republic and the Polish- and USSR-occupied territories were outside of FRG territory.
The view, however, was contested by most other countries of the world. The three Western allies, the Soviet Union and most other Western countries regarded the German Reich as still being one nation — not synonymous with either the West or East German state but rather the two states in collective. Other countries tended to regard the German Reich to have been divided into two states. As of 1974, East Germany's official stance was that the GDR was a new state that is German in nature, a successor of the German Empire, and that there were then two German states that were different nations. The Basic Law for the Federal Republic of Germany
was made with agreement of at least the Western allied forces. It is also worth noting that the FRG was held responsible for reparations after the war, while the GDR denied any legal responsibility for the German Reich.
between Germany and the wartime Allies was signed on 12 September 1990, there was no mention of the term Deutsches Reich, however the Allies paraphrased the international legal personality of Germany as "Germany as a whole" in the English version of the text. Instead the states of the Federal Republic of Germany
(West Germany
, FRG) and the German Democratic Republic (East Germany, GDR) agreed to be bound by certain conditions which they had to ratify, one of which was the creation of a united Germany — which to come into existence was also required to agree to certain treaty conditions. On meeting these conditions under Article 7.2 "The United Germany [has] accordingly full sovereignty over its internal and external affairs."
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
from 1871 to 1945 in the German language
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
.
As the literal English translation "German Empire
German Empire
The German Empire refers to Germany during the "Second Reich" period from the unification of Germany and proclamation of Wilhelm I as German Emperor on 18 January 1871, to 1918, when it became a federal republic after defeat in World War I and the abdication of the Emperor, Wilhelm II.The German...
" denotes a monarchy, the term is used only in reference to Germany prior to the fall of the monarchies at the end of World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
in 1918. To refer to the entire 1871-1945 period, the partially translated "German Reich" (ˈ), which has no monarchical connotations, is often used. Informally, this nation was also simply known as Germany.
The name "Deutsches Reich" was also often applied in contemporary maps to the Holy Roman Empire
Holy Roman Empire
The Holy Roman Empire was a realm that existed from 962 to 1806 in Central Europe.It was ruled by the Holy Roman Emperor. Its character changed during the Middle Ages and the Early Modern period, when the power of the emperor gradually weakened in favour of the princes...
(911–1806). The history of Germany
History of Germany
The concept of Germany as a distinct region in central Europe can be traced to Roman commander Julius Caesar, who referred to the unconquered area east of the Rhine as Germania, thus distinguishing it from Gaul , which he had conquered. The victory of the Germanic tribes in the Battle of the...
during the time of the German Reich is conventionally broken into three distinct periods:
- the monarchy presided over by Emperors from the Prussian House of HohenzollernHouse of HohenzollernThe House of Hohenzollern is a noble family and royal dynasty of electors, kings and emperors of Prussia, Germany and Romania. It originated in the area around the town of Hechingen in Swabia during the 11th century. They took their name from their ancestral home, the Burg Hohenzollern castle near...
, known in English as the German EmpireGerman EmpireThe German Empire refers to Germany during the "Second Reich" period from the unification of Germany and proclamation of Wilhelm I as German Emperor on 18 January 1871, to 1918, when it became a federal republic after defeat in World War I and the abdication of the Emperor, Wilhelm II.The German...
(1871–1918) - the republic informally called the Weimar RepublicWeimar RepublicThe Weimar Republic is the name given by historians to the parliamentary republic established in 1919 in Germany to replace the imperial form of government...
(1919–33) - the National Socialist stateState (polity)A state is an organized political community, living under a government. States may be sovereign and may enjoy a monopoly on the legal initiation of force and are not dependent on, or subject to any other power or state. Many states are federated states which participate in a federal union...
commonly known as the Third Reich or Nazi GermanyNazi GermanyNazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
(1933–45)
Like its Latin counterpart, imperium, the word reich does not necessarily connote a monarchy; the Weimar Republic and Nazi Germany used the name Deutsches Reich, while both were at least de jure republican in structure.
Following the de-facto annexation of Austria
Anschluss
The Anschluss , also known as the ', was the occupation and annexation of Austria into Nazi Germany in 1938....
in 1938, Germany informally named itself the Greater German Reich . This name was made the official state name only during the last two years (1943–45) of Nazi rule.
The difference between "Reich" and "Empire"
While the German word "Reich" translates to the English word "empire" (it also translates to similar words such as "realm" or "domain"), this translation was not performed throughout the full existence of the German Reich. Historically, only 1871–1918 Germany — where Germany was under the rule of an EmperorEmperor
An emperor is a monarch, usually the sovereign ruler of an empire or another type of imperial realm. Empress, the female equivalent, may indicate an emperor's wife or a woman who rules in her own right...
— is known in English as the "German Empire", while the term "German Reich" describes Germany from 1871 to 1945.
After the unification of Germany
Unification of Germany
The formal unification of Germany into a politically and administratively integrated nation state officially occurred on 18 January 1871 at the Versailles Palace's Hall of Mirrors in France. Princes of the German states gathered there to proclaim Wilhelm of Prussia as Emperor Wilhelm of the German...
during the reign of Wilhelm I and his Chancellor Otto von Bismarck
Otto von Bismarck
Otto Eduard Leopold, Prince of Bismarck, Duke of Lauenburg , simply known as Otto von Bismarck, was a Prussian-German statesman whose actions unified Germany, made it a major player in world affairs, and created a balance of power that kept Europe at peace after 1871.As Minister President of...
, the German kingdoms (e.g. Prussia
Prussia
Prussia was a German kingdom and historic state originating out of the Duchy of Prussia and the Margraviate of Brandenburg. For centuries, the House of Hohenzollern ruled Prussia, successfully expanding its size by way of an unusually well-organized and effective army. Prussia shaped the history...
, Bavaria
Bavaria
Bavaria, formally the Free State of Bavaria is a state of Germany, located in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the largest state by area, forming almost 20% of the total land area of Germany...
, etc.) were united under imperial rule by the House of Hohenzollern
House of Hohenzollern
The House of Hohenzollern is a noble family and royal dynasty of electors, kings and emperors of Prussia, Germany and Romania. It originated in the area around the town of Hechingen in Swabia during the 11th century. They took their name from their ancestral home, the Burg Hohenzollern castle near...
and in 1871, the German Reich was officially declared as "Deutsches Reich" or the German Empire.
It is important to note that before and during the events of World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, the German state was called an "empire" in English and Wilhelm II was titled "His Imperial and Royal Majesty The German Emperor." After the War and the abolition of the monarchy, however, when Wilhelm was forced to abdicate, the official English name for Germany was the "German Reich." "Reich" was left untranslated and no longer referred to an empire. Instead, it took on the connotation of "Realm" or "State." "German Reich" was used on legal documents and English-language international treaties — for example, the Kellogg–Briand Pact and the Geneva Conventions
Geneva Conventions
The Geneva Conventions comprise four treaties, and three additional protocols, that establish the standards of international law for the humanitarian treatment of the victims of war...
. If the term "Empire" were still considered valid at this point, it would have been used on these documents instead of "Reich".
Apart from official documents, post-WWI Germany was referred to as the "German Reich" — never as the "German Empire" — for example, by British politicians and the word "Reich" was used untranslated by Allied prosecutors throughout the Nuremberg Trials
Nuremberg Trials
The Nuremberg Trials were a series of military tribunals, held by the victorious Allied forces of World War II, most notable for the prosecution of prominent members of the political, military, and economic leadership of the defeated Nazi Germany....
, with "German Empire" only used to signify pre-1918 Germany.
The fact that the word "Reich" was never translated to "Empire" after 1918 has to do with the somewhat untranslatable nature of the word. In German, "Reich" does not presuppose a monarchical form of government, but in English, the word "Empire" almost certainly does, notwithstanding the fact that the Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
word imperium
Imperium
Imperium is a Latin word which, in a broad sense, translates roughly as 'power to command'. In ancient Rome, different kinds of power or authority were distinguished by different terms. Imperium, referred to the sovereignty of the state over the individual...
, from which "empire" is derived, does not actually connote a monarchy. Old English had the word "rīc" which was cognate with Reich, but this term has long since fallen out of use, except perhaps in the compound "bishopric".
Heads of State
| Title | Head of State | from | to |
|---|---|---|---|
| German Empire German Empire The German Empire refers to Germany during the "Second Reich" period from the unification of Germany and proclamation of Wilhelm I as German Emperor on 18 January 1871, to 1918, when it became a federal republic after defeat in World War I and the abdication of the Emperor, Wilhelm II.The German... (1871–1918) |
|||
| German Emperor German Emperor This article is about the emperors of the German Empire. For full list of German monarchs before 1871, see List of German monarchs.The German Emperor was the official title of the Head of State and ruler of the German Empire, beginning with the proclamation of Wilhelm I as emperor during the... |
Wilhelm I | 18 January 1871 | 9 March 1888 |
| German Emperor | Frederick III Frederick III, German Emperor Frederick III was German Emperor and King of Prussia for 99 days in 1888, the Year of the Three Emperors. Friedrich Wilhelm Nikolaus Karl known informally as Fritz, was the only son of Emperor William I and was raised in his family's tradition of military service... |
9 March 1888 | 15 June 1888 |
| German Emperor | Wilhelm II | 15 June 1888 | 18 November 1918 |
| German Reich (1919–1933) | |||
| Reichspräsident Reichspräsident The Reichspräsident was the German head of state under the Weimar constitution, which was officially in force from 1919 to 1945. In English he was usually simply referred to as the President of Germany... (President of the Reich) |
Friedrich Ebert Friedrich Ebert Friedrich Ebert was a German politician of the Social Democratic Party of Germany .When Ebert was elected as the leader of the SPD after the death of August Bebel, the party members of the SPD were deeply divided because of the party's support for World War I. Ebert supported the Burgfrieden and... |
11 February 1919 | 28 February 1925 |
| Reichspräsident | Paul von Hindenburg Paul von Hindenburg Paul Ludwig Hans Anton von Beneckendorff und von Hindenburg , known universally as Paul von Hindenburg was a Prussian-German field marshal, statesman, and politician, and served as the second President of Germany from 1925 to 1934.... |
12 May 1925 | 2 August 1934 |
| German Reich (1933–1945) | |||
| Führer und Reichskanzler (Führer and Chancellor of the Reich) | Adolf Hitler Adolf Hitler Adolf Hitler was an Austrian-born German politician and the leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party , commonly referred to as the Nazi Party). He was Chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945, and head of state from 1934 to 1945... |
2 August 1934 | 30 April 1945 |
| Reichspräsident | Karl Dönitz Karl Dönitz Karl Dönitz was a German naval commander during World War II. He started his career in the German Navy during World War I. In 1918, while he was in command of , the submarine was sunk by British forces and Dönitz was taken prisoner... |
30 April 1945 | 23 May 1945 |
End of World War II
On 8 May 1945, with the capitulation of the German armed forces, the supreme commandOberkommando der Wehrmacht
The Oberkommando der Wehrmacht was part of the command structure of the armed forces of Nazi Germany during World War II.- Genesis :...
of the Wehrmacht
Wehrmacht
The Wehrmacht – from , to defend and , the might/power) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the Heer , the Kriegsmarine and the Luftwaffe .-Origin and use of the term:...
was handed over to the Allies
Allies of World War II
The Allies of World War II were the countries that opposed the Axis powers during the Second World War . Former Axis states contributing to the Allied victory are not considered Allied states...
. The Allies refused to recognise Karl Dönitz
Karl Dönitz
Karl Dönitz was a German naval commander during World War II. He started his career in the German Navy during World War I. In 1918, while he was in command of , the submarine was sunk by British forces and Dönitz was taken prisoner...
as Reichspräsident
Reichspräsident
The Reichspräsident was the German head of state under the Weimar constitution, which was officially in force from 1919 to 1945. In English he was usually simply referred to as the President of Germany...
or to recognise the legitimacy of his Flensburg government
Flensburg government
The Flensburg Government , also known as the Flensburg Cabinet and the Dönitz Government , was the short-lived administration that attempted to rule the Third Reich during most of May 1945 at the end of World War II in Europe...
(so-called because it was based at Flensburg
Flensburg
Flensburg is an independent town in the north of the German state of Schleswig-Holstein. Flensburg is the centre of the region of Southern Schleswig...
and controlled only a small area around the town) and, on 5 June 1945, the four powers signed the Declaration Regarding the Defeat of Germany in Berlin, creating the Allied Control Council
Allied Control Council
The Allied Control Council or Allied Control Authority, known in the German language as the Alliierter Kontrollrat and also referred to as the Four Powers , was a military occupation governing body of the Allied Occupation Zones in Germany after the end of World War II in Europe...
, and assumed de jure supreme authority with respect to Germany.
Divided Germany
In its 1973 review of the previous year's Basic Treaty between East and West Germany, the German Federal Constitutional CourtFederal Constitutional Court of Germany
The Federal Constitutional Court is a special court established by the Grundgesetz, the German basic law...
(Bundesverfassungsgericht) ruled that the Federal Republic of Germany
West Germany
West Germany is the common English, but not official, name for the Federal Republic of Germany or FRG in the period between its creation in May 1949 to German reunification on 3 October 1990....
(FRG) is identical with the German Reich and not merely its legal successor
Succession of states
Succession of states is a theory and practice in international relations regarding the recognition and acceptance of a newly created sovereign state by other states, based on a perceived historical relationship the new state has with a prior state...
. The court also explained that the FRG had only partial identity in questions concerning the territory because the German Democratic Republic and the Polish- and USSR-occupied territories were outside of FRG territory.
The view, however, was contested by most other countries of the world. The three Western allies, the Soviet Union and most other Western countries regarded the German Reich as still being one nation — not synonymous with either the West or East German state but rather the two states in collective. Other countries tended to regard the German Reich to have been divided into two states. As of 1974, East Germany's official stance was that the GDR was a new state that is German in nature, a successor of the German Empire, and that there were then two German states that were different nations. The Basic Law for the Federal Republic of Germany
Basic Law for the Federal Republic of Germany
The Basic Law for the Federal Republic of Germany is the constitution of Germany. It was formally approved on 8 May 1949, and, with the signature of the Allies of World War II on 12 May, came into effect on 23 May, as the constitution of those states of West Germany that were initially included...
was made with agreement of at least the Western allied forces. It is also worth noting that the FRG was held responsible for reparations after the war, while the GDR denied any legal responsibility for the German Reich.
Reunified Germany
When the Treaty on the Final Settlement with Respect to GermanyTreaty on the Final Settlement with Respect to Germany
The Treaty on the Final Settlement With Respect to Germany, was negotiated in 1990 between the Federal Republic of Germany and the German Democratic Republic , and the Four Powers which occupied Germany at the end of World War II in Europe: France, the Soviet Union, the United Kingdom, and the...
between Germany and the wartime Allies was signed on 12 September 1990, there was no mention of the term Deutsches Reich, however the Allies paraphrased the international legal personality of Germany as "Germany as a whole" in the English version of the text. Instead the states of the Federal Republic of Germany
States of Germany
Germany is made up of sixteen which are partly sovereign constituent states of the Federal Republic of Germany. Land literally translates as "country", and constitutionally speaking, they are constituent countries...
(West Germany
West Germany
West Germany is the common English, but not official, name for the Federal Republic of Germany or FRG in the period between its creation in May 1949 to German reunification on 3 October 1990....
, FRG) and the German Democratic Republic (East Germany, GDR) agreed to be bound by certain conditions which they had to ratify, one of which was the creation of a united Germany — which to come into existence was also required to agree to certain treaty conditions. On meeting these conditions under Article 7.2 "The United Germany [has] accordingly full sovereignty over its internal and external affairs."