The German word Leiter means leader, whilst Gau referred to a region of the Reich once ruled by a Frankish Gaugraf; it translates most closely to the English shire. The title of Gauleiter was first established in 1925 after the Nazi Party reorganized following the failed Munich Beer Hall Putsch. By 1928, Gauleiter had also become a Nazi paramilitary rank, and would eventually become the second highest such position, ranking only below the rank of Reichsleiter.