What was the Name of Germany Before WW2?

Immediately before World War II, the unified German state was officially known as the Deutsches Reich, commonly translated as the German Reich. This name was in use during the Weimar Republic era (1918-1933) and continued through the early years of Nazi Germany leading up to the war's outbreak in September 1939.

Historical Predecessors of Modern Germany

The concept of "Germany" as a unified nation-state, as it existed before and during World War II, is a relatively modern development. For centuries prior, the lands and peoples that would eventually form Germany were known by various names and comprised a complex collection of entities.

Historically, before unification, the region and its inhabitants were referred to in several ways:

• Germania: This was an ancient Roman term used to describe the geographical area inhabited by various Germanic tribes, broadly encompassing lands east of the Rhine and north of the Danube rivers.
• Holy Roman Empire: For over a thousand years (962–1806), a vast and complex political entity known as the Holy Roman Empire dominated much of Central Europe, including numerous German-speaking principalities, duchies, and free cities. While not a unified nation-state in the modern sense, it was a significant predecessor to the German nation.
• Franks: Early Germanic tribes known as the Franks established powerful kingdoms in Western Europe following the collapse of the Roman Empire. Their influence and territories laid some of the foundational elements for what would later become both France and Germany.
• Prussia: In the centuries leading up to German unification, Prussia emerged as a dominant power among the German states. Its military strength and political influence were instrumental in the eventual unification of Germany under Prussian leadership in 1871.

The Evolution of the German State's Official Name

The path to the unified Deutsches Reich involved several distinct phases and official names for the German state:

• The German Empire (Deutsches Kaiserreich) – 1871-1918: Following unification under Otto von Bismarck, the newly formed nation was known as the German Empire. This period saw rapid industrialization and expansion.
• The Weimar Republic (Weimarer Republik) – 1918-1933: After Germany's defeat in World War I and the abdication of the Kaiser, a democratic republic was established. Its official name remained Deutsches Reich (German Reich), reflecting continuity, though its political structure was entirely new.
• Nazi Germany (Nationalsozialistisches Deutschland) – 1933-1945: When the Nazi Party came to power in 1933, the state formally retained the name Deutsches Reich. It was not until 1943, well into World War II, that the official name was changed to Großdeutsches Reich (Greater German Reich) to reflect territorial ambitions. Therefore, in the years immediately preceding World War II, the German state was legally and officially referred to as the Deutsches Reich.

The table below outlines the official names of the unified German state from its inception leading up to and during World War II: