Nazi Germany is the common English name for the German state between 1933 and 1945, when Adolf Hitler and his Nazi Party (NSDAP) controlled the country, which they transformed into a dictatorship. Under Hitler's rule, Germany became a totalitarian state where nearly all aspects of life were controlled by the government. The official name of the state was Deutsches Reich (German Reich) until 1943 and Großdeutsches Reich (Greater German Reich) from 1943 to 1945. Nazi Germany is also known as the Third Reich (Drittes Reich), meaning "Third Realm" or "Third Empire", alluding to the Nazis' perception that Nazi Germany was the successor of the earlier Holy Roman (800–1806) and German (1871–1918) empires. The Nazi regime ended after the Allies defeated Germany in May 1945, ending World War II in Europe.