die Dolchstoßlegende. The myth that the German Empire could have won World War I if its army, like Siegfried in the Nibelungenlied, had not been stabbed in the back by traitorous enemies, often claimed to be Jews, rich industrialists, or socialists. The German ß character can be replaced by a double -ss- in English contexts. Otherwise, care should be taken to use the correct German character (part of the ASCII character set) and not a Greek beta. (German definite articles are provided here, but should usually be omitted in English contexts except where noted. All German nouns are capitalized, a practice that should be retained in English usage.)

der Hitler-Putsch. The “Beer Hall Putsch” of 1923, and the first attempt by German fascists to seize power by initiating an uprising in Munich and marching on Berlin. The uprising was forcibly suppressed, leaving four policemen, one civilian, and fifteen Nazi supporters dead. Adolf Hitler was sentenced to five years in prison, where he began work on Mein Kampf, but was granted early release for good behavior after nine months.

das Horst-Wessel-Lied. The Nazi party hymn commemorating “comrades shot by the Red front and reactionaries” composed by Horst Wessel, who himself died in 1930 as a victim of political violence. The melody, thought to be based on an older traditional tune, is quite catchy. Care should be taken if you have a habit of idle whistling.

die Lügenpresse. The “lying press,” a term used to discredit the journalistic mainstream. Note the dots over the ü – they are not optional.

das Herrenvolk. The “master race” of Nazism and other racist ideologies.

der Übermensch. Plural die Übermenschen. Uber is a ride-hailing app, über is a proposition cognate with English “over” and, more distantly, with Latin “super” and Greek “hyper.” Thus an Übermensch is one of the Herrenvolk, a member of the superior race.

die Untermenschen. Members of all other, inferior races, although Nazi ideology allowed for a racial hierarchy.

die Machtergreifung. Not just Hitler’s appointment as chancellor in January 1933 following elections in November 1932, but also the following period in which the Nazi party destroyed or seized control of every facet of the German state.

der Reichstagsbrand. The fire in the Reichstag building set by an arsonist in February 1933, which the Nazis used as justification to set aside the legal rights previously enjoyed by citizens of the Weimar Republic.

das Ermächtigungsgesetz. The final step in establishing Nazi dictatorship, this law signed in March 1933 formally eliminated the separation of powers and conveyed legislative authority to the Hitler regime. The only party to vote against it was the Social Democrats. The Communists were unable to vote against it, as all their members of parliament had already been arrested or had fled into exile.

Lebensunwertes Leben (or more commonly and briefly: unwertes Leben). Literally, “life-[linking s]-un-worthy-[neuter adjective ending] life,” referring to mentally or physically disabled people who should be euthanized. Adjective endings are complex in German, so unless you have complete mastery of them, always use this expression without a preceding article.

das Führerprinzip. The principle of Nazi rule which, in opposition to democracy or separation of governmental powers, saw the Führer as exercising unlimited authority over his subjects, not only politically but in all aspects of life. Each lower member of the hierarchy in turn could in theory exercise authority over those subject to him. (While many words were tainted by Nazi association after World War II and fell out of use, non-Germans have imperfect instincts for which words should be avoided. Führer seems sinister in English, but is still used in countless compound words in German, while some seemingly harmless words are liable to cause a sudden and uncomfortable pause in conversation.)

dem Führer entgegenarbeiten. “To work towards the Führer.” As Hitler could not make every decision personally, it was the obligation of each person to implement Hitler’s intended purpose. This could lead to acts that were more extreme than even what Hitler himself had envisioned. The dative definite article dem must be retained, and the verb includes a separable prefix, so it is best to use the phrase to refer to the concept as a whole rather than trying to slot it into an English sentence.

das Konzentrationslager (abbreviation: KZ). A “concentration camp” such as Dachau, used for confining political prisoners under harsh conditions beginning in March 1933. The term should be distinguished from das Vernichtungslager or an “extermination camp” such as Ausschwitz-Birkenau, a specialized type of concentration camp established beginning in 1941. Note the lack of –s or any other marker in the plural: die Konzentrationslager, “concentration camps.”

die Gleichschaltung. The Nazi policy of placing all areas of life and society under party control and subsuming them to serving the Nazi regime, for example by taking control of media and universities, incorporating Boy Scout units into the Hitler Youth and eliminating independent recreational clubs or professional associations.

der Kulturkampf. “Culture struggle or conflict,” which sounds like a synonym for our contemporary culture war, but actually refers to a specific conflict in the 1870s between Otto von Bismarck and the Catholic Church. Avoid in English, as careless use would suggest historical illiteracy and grasping for teutonicisms purely for rhetorical effect.

der Kirchenkampf. Meaning “church struggle or conflict,” this term refers specifically to a conflict within German Protestantism over its independence from Nazi influence. Also avoid in English unless a parallel with the specific incident is made clear.

der Röhm-Putsch. Not all allies on the route to power are useful after seizing power. Known in English as the “Röhm purge” or “Night of the Long Knives,” when SA leader Ernst Röhm and 100-200 other potential competitors to Nazi power were murdered at the end of June and beginning of July 1934. Do not attempt oral pronunciation without special training, as the German uvular tap, trill or fricative <r> and long front mid rounded vowel <ö> are not part of the English phonemic inventory.

der Anschluss. The annexation of Austria into the Nazi Reich in March 1938, both compelled by military force and welcomed by large segments of the Austrian population.

die Sturmabteilung (SA). A Nazi paramilitary organization first organized in 1921 that played an important role in the Machtergreifung, but which lost relevance following the Röhm-Putsch of 1934.

die Schutzstaffel (SS). Another Nazi paramilitary organization, organized in 1925, that became a central part of the Nazi state and military apparatus, including operation of the Konzentrationslager and Vernichtungslager.

die Gestapo. An abbreviated form of Geheime Staatspolizei or “secret state police,” this organization had nearly unchecked power to pursue political enemies of the Nazi regime and opponents of Nazi ideology.

die Kristallnacht. A series of pogroms targeting Jews, synagogues and Jewish-owned businesses, primarily on the night of 9 November 1938, with an estimated 1000-2000 people murdered. No matter how appealing it may sound, do not use “crystal” and “night” together to advertise events of any kind, no matter the theme.

der Weltkrieg. World War II began in Europe on 1 September 1939 with the simultaneous invasion of Poland by Germany and the Soviet Union. This was preceded by several staged events attributed to Polish forces as a justification for war.

der totale Krieg. “Total war,” or the coordinated application of all national resources and elements of society to the war effort. The phrase again involves adjective endings that require expert knowledge for correct use, so try to use if possible as the subject of a verb (with an indefinite article: ein totaler Krieg). Another option is to cite Göbbels’s famous question from his February 1943 speech following the German defeat at Stalingrad: Wollt ihr den totalen Krieg? The results of this strategy are well known.

die Stunde Null. The “hour zero,” or the idea of completely resetting German society following the physical destruction of the war and the moral ruin of an entire nation. While far more of an idea than a practical reality – the student-led protests of 1968 focused on the persistence of Nazi personnel and ideology among senior university faculty, for example – there were serious efforts in 1945 and after to break with the past.

die Vergangenheitsbewältigung. The process of coming to terms with the past. Thanks to Western aid such as the Marshall Plan, West Germany was rebuilt in the ten years following the war and then enjoyed a decades-long economic boom. The moral stain on Germany has proved to be more enduring and more difficult to fully address.