What historical period does the term "Nazi Germany" refer to?

The term "Nazi Germany" specifically refers to the period from 1933 to 1945 when Adolf Hitler and the National Socialist German Workers' Party (Nazi Party) were in power in Germany. During this time, Germany underwent significant political, social, and economic changes as the Nazis implemented their totalitarian regime. This period is characterized by aggressive nationalism, militarization, widespread propaganda, and the systematic persecution of various groups, culminating in the horrors of World War II and the Holocaust.

The years prior to 1933, while significant in terms of the rise of the Nazi Party, do not encompass the full extent of their governance and policies that define Nazi Germany. Similarly, the period following 1945 marks the end of the Nazi regime with Germany's defeat in World War II, leading to the subsequent occupation and division of Germany, not a continuation of Nazi rule. Thus, the correct answer accurately frames the historical context of Nazi Germany as the time when the party exercised its total control over the country and enacted its most infamous and widespread policies.