Record No.
MRB-2026-007000
Pontifical Swiss Guard, the world's smallest and one of its oldest standing armies
No Photo
Record Holder
Pontifical Swiss Guard
Vatican City
Category
—
Country
Vatican City
(
VA )
Achievement Date
—
Verification Status
Reference
Record Description
Founded in 1506 to protect the Pope, the Pontifical Swiss Guard numbers only around 135 soldiers, making it one of the oldest continuously operating military units in the world and, per Guinness World Records, the smallest standing army.
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