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How did Arthur Moeller van den Bruck influence the idea of a Third Reich?

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Nazi SS troops march in formation carrying banners with swastikas and eagles at the 1933 Party Day rally in Nuremberg, Germany, with trees in the background. — Third Reich A Nazi Party rally at Nürnberg, Germany, in 1933.

Arthur Moeller van den Bruck significantly influenced the concept of the Third Reich by providing the regime with its dramatic name through his 1923 book, Das Dritte Reich ("The Third Empire," or "Reich").12

His influence was primarily intellectual rather than direct, as his work espoused a conservative doctrine that sought to solve Germany's perceived cultural poverty by elevating German nationalism and intellectualism. Moeller viewed Western-style democracy, liberalism, and Marxism as destructive forces that impeded Germany's rightful ascent to supremacy in Europe. He proposed that a "Third" or final empire would harmonize Germany's conservative and socialist movements.12

Although Moeller did not intend for his work to be overtly National Socialist, his writings helped create an atmosphere receptive to Nazi ideology. While the Nazis later denied him as an intellectual precursor, the phrase "Third Reich" entered common use after Adolf Hitler became chancellor in 1933, with the regime retroactively positioning itself as the successor to the Holy Roman Empire and the German Empire.123