Deutsches Reich was the official name for the German
nation state from 1871 to 1943 in
German language. It translates literally to "German Empire", with a context approximating that of "German Realm". From 1943 to 1945, the official name was – but not formally proclaimed –
Großdeutsches Reich ("Greater German Reich") on account of the new territories annexed into the state's administration during the
Second World War.