putsch was quickly crushed by the local police and resulted in the death of 16 Nazi supporters and 4 police officers. In the aftermath of the failed putsch both Hitler, Schreck, and other Nazi leaders were incarcerated at Landsberg Prison. The Nazi Party and all associated formations, including the Stoßtrupp, were officially disbanded. Career in the SS After Hitler's release from prison on 20 December 1924, the Nazi Party was officially refounded. In 1925, Hitler ordered Schreck to organise the formation of a new bodyguard unit, the Schutzkommando ("Protection Command"). Hitler wanted a small group of tough ex-soldiers such as Schreck, who would be loyal to him. The unit included old Stoßtrupp members such as Emil Maurice and Erhard Heiden. The unit made its first public appearance in April 1925. That same year, the Schutzkommando was expanded to a national level. It was also successively renamed the Sturmstaffel ("Storm Squadron") and then finally the Schutzstaffel ("Protection Squadron"; SS) on 9 November 1925. Schreck became SS member #5. He was asked by Hitler to command the bodyguard company. Schreck never referred to himself as Reichsführer-SS, but the title was retroactively applied to him in later years. In 1926, Schreck stood down as commander of the SS and Berchtold took over the leadership. Berchtold changed the title of the office position, which became known as the Reichsführer-SS. Schreck remained on the SS rolls as an SS-Führer and worked as Hitler's private chauffeur after Maurice until 1934. In 1930, after the SS had begun to expand under Heinrich Himmler, Schreck was appointed an SS-Standartenführer, but had little actual power. He continued to serve at Hitler's side and they were on very good terms. Death Schreck continued as Hitler's personal driver until 1936. That spring Schreck developed meningitis and died on 16 May in Munich. He was a well-liked man and Hitler was distraught when Schreck died. His final rank was SS-Brigadeführer, a rank equivalent to that of a Generalmajor in the Wehrmacht. Schreck was accorded a Nazi state funeral. Himmler referred to him as "Adolf Hitler's first SS man." References Citations Bibliography External links 1898 births 1936 deaths 20th-century Freikorps personnel Chauffeurs of Adolf Hitler Deaths from meningitis German Army personnel of World War I Nazi Party officials German Roman Catholics Nazis who participated in the Beer Hall Putsch Military personnel from Munich People from the Kingdom of Bavaria Reichsführer-SS Sturmabteilung officers SS