What Were The First and Second Reichs? (Encore)

Third Reich

The term Third Reich, coined by Adolf Hitler in 1933, referred to his regime, which he claimed would last a thousand years. However, the regime only lasted twelve years, from 1933 to 1945. Gary Arndt explains that the term Weimar Republic was also coined by Hitler in 1929, referring to the constitutional assembly in Weimar, Germany 1. The Third Reich followed the Holy Roman Empire and the Hohenzollern dynasty, which were the First and Second Reichs, respectively 1.

   

Term 'Reich'

The word 'Reich' in German translates to 'empire' or 'realm.' Gary Arndt explains that the term Third Reich was not original to Hitler but was first coined by Arthur Mohler Vandenbruch in 1923 2. Vandenbruch, a right-wing German nationalist, envisioned a new German empire combining elements of capitalism and communism. Although he wasn't a Nazi, his ideas were later adopted by the Nazi regime 2.