Military Of Vatican City
The State of the Vatican City lies entirely within Rome, the capital of Italy. Therefore, its military defense is provided by Italy. Vatican City has no armed forces. It does, however, have within its borders the Pontifical Swiss Guard or Swiss Guard. The Swiss Guard is a small force maintained by the Holy See and is responsible for the safety of the Pope, including the security of the Apostolic Palace and access to the entrances to the city-state. It serves as the de facto if not de jure military of Vatican City. The Corps of Gendarmerie of Vatican City is a civilian force maintained by the Vatican City. The Vatican has never been involved in war in any major way and has only seen anything close to military action once when it was bombed during World War II.
Historically, a number of other units existed. The Noble Guard and the Palatine Guard were abolished by Pope Paul VI in 1970.
Read more about Military Of Vatican City: Pontifical Swiss Guard, List of Former Military Units Owing Allegiance To The Pope, Officers' Ranks
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