As the Vatican City is an enclave within Italy, its military defence is provided by the Italian armed forces, so it has no armed forces of its own. The Palatine Guard and the Noble Guard, the last armed forces of the Vatican City, were disbanded by Pope Paul VI in 1970. The Swiss Guard is a military corps of the Holy See responsible for the personal security of the Pope. At the end of 2005, the Guard had 134 members. Swiss mercenaries were historically recruited by Popes as part of an army for the Papal States, and the Pontifical Swiss Guard was founded by Pope Julius II on 22 January 1506 as the pope's personal bodyguard. Recruitment is arranged by a special agreement between the Holy See and Switzerland.
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