The first local branches of the RFB were established in July 1924.[4][5][6] The group's inaugural nationwide meeting was held in February 1925 in Berlin, where Ernst Thälmann was elected to lead the federal committee.[7][8] Die Rote Front ('The Red Front') was the newspaper of the RFB.[9][8] The greeting of „Rot Front!“ (English: Red Front!) while rising a clenched fist gave rise to the expression Rotfront, often used among friends and foes to refer to the organization instead of its full title.