translating reich is problematic the word designates a state or group of states under one rule if ruled by an emperor kaiser it is an empire kaiserreich if ruled by a king k nig it is a kingdom k nigreich reich cannot easily be translated when it refers to a territory that is ruled by neither an emperor nor a king so the word has been adopted in english as a loan word cf the chambers dictionary reich the german state germany as an empire the first reich and third reich as a dictatorship under the nazi regime