SwissGuard-msg - 6/28/05 Swiss mercenaries hired by the Pope. NOTE: See also the files: mercenaries-msg, Italy-msg, popes-msg, rosaries-msg, relics-msg, saints-msg. ************************************************************************ NOTICE - This file is a collection of various messages having a common theme that I have collected from my reading of the various computer networks. Some messages date back to 1989, some may be as recent as yesterday. This file is part of a collection of files called Stefan's Florilegium. These files are available on the Internet at: http://www.florilegium.org I have done a limited amount of editing. Messages having to do with separate topics were sometimes split into different files and sometimes extraneous information was removed. For instance, the message IDs were removed to save space and remove clutter. The comments made in these messages are not necessarily my viewpoints. I make no claims as to the accuracy of the information given by the individual authors. Please respect the time and efforts of those who have written these messages. The copyright status of these messages is unclear at this time. If information is published from these messages, please give credit to the originator(s). Thank you, Mark S. Harris AKA: THLord Stefan li Rous Stefan at florilegium.org ************************************************************************ From: ahide at jupiter.newcastle.edu.au (8636248) Newsgroups: sci.military Subject: Cohors Helvetica (Swiss Guards) Summary: Data on Vatican Swiss Guards Keywords: Vatican, mercenary Date: 6 Aug 91 02:41:17 GMT Organization: Uni of Newcastle, Australia I mailed a brief, off-the-cuff, summary of the Swiss Guards to Mike Richards, and got such an encouraging letter in reply that I thought I'd put together a more definitive version for the net. (Hopefully with the moder- ator's permission.) The Swiss as mercenary troops first rose to prominence in 1494, as part of the army of Charles VIII of France during the invasion of the Italian peninsula. Their discipline, tactics, grim demeanour and habit of not granting quarter in battle were something of a revelation to post-Renaissance Italy; the effect was something like the onset of the Wehrmacht at the opening of World War II. The French conquered the region with notable ease, and for the next fifty years Swiss mercenaries could be found on most battlefields in Italy. On the 22nd of January 1506, the warrior-Pope Julius II formed the corps of Swiss Guard (or Cohors Helvetica, to give them their Latin title) and used them as papal mercenaries against the French. Their primary weapons were the halberd (a long pole-axe and spike) and the sword. On the 6th of May 1527, the newly formed corps had its sternest test to date. The Holy Roman Emperor Charles V (who was like most of the Holy Roman Emperors neither Roman, nor particularly holy) had decided to oust the then Pope, Clement VII, and replace him with a pontiff more in accord with Charles' views. His army stormed the walls of Rome and the Vatican, and sacked both cities, but Clement escaped by a passageway (which still exists today) leading from the Vatican to the Castel Sant'Angelo. The Swiss Guard, then numbering about eight hundred, died almost to a man buying the Pope time to get away. In about 1548 the Guards adopted a new uniform, basically of striped blue, red and yellow with a red-plumed helmet; this uniform remains essentially unchanged to this day, although there is an undress blue uniform worn in less public places. Today, the Swiss Guard consists of some one hundred to one hundred and twenty men; this includes four officers, five senior and eighteen junior NCOs. All recruits must be Swiss citizens, unmarried, and at least 5' 8 1/2" tall; they must also be good Catholics (with a letter from their local bishop to prove it) and be between the ages of 19 and 25. After completing basic military training at the recruiting school, the prospective Guardsman can apply for membership in the Cohors Helvetica. The investiture of new members of the Guard takes place every 6th of May, the anniversary of their massacre in 1527, in the Cortile San Damaso. Flanked by members of the papal household and the Secretariat of State, the recruit grasps the standard with his left hand and raises the right with thumb and two fingers outstretched, signifying the Holy Trinity. He then swears to serve the reigning Pope and his rightful successors in true and upright manner, risking, if necessary, life and limb to defend them. The training that follows is rigorous and includes firearms, and unarmed combat, as well as the more esoteric techniques of modern bodyguarding and public relations (they have a ceremonial role to perform in addition to the practical). They also receive 15 days instruction in the use of the halberd (which I would guess to be very useful for crowd control.) Terms of service range from a minimum of 2 years up to perhaps 25, with officers and senior sergeants permitted to marry. On guard, the primary weapons remain the halberd and the sword; however, firearms (typically Beretta Model 12 submachineguns), tear gas, and anti-personnel grenades are usually close to hand for more 20th century threats. Heavier weapons are kept in the Guard's modest barracks and arsenal by St Anne's Gate, near the Sistine Chapel. Off duty, Guardsmen are permitted to come and go as they please, with the proviso of modest discretion; their social lives are said to be quite active, as the young ladies of Rome consider them quite a catch. With nearly five hundred years of service, the Swiss Guards are one of the longest-serving regiments in the Western world. The tradition seems unlikely to be broken as long as Switzerland and the Catholic Church endure. Hope that that answers some questions and provides some interest. References: 'Uniforms of the Soldiers of Fortune' - Leroy THOMPSON and Ken MacSWAN 'The New Mercenaries' - Anthony MOCKLER 'Inside the Vatican' - Joseph Coughlan Andrew Hide Computer Science Honours University of Newcastle, NSW, Australia From mvoneuw at isd.net Sat Mar 8 21:49:51 1997 Newsgroups: rec.org.sca Date: Sat, 8 Mar 1997 09:15:41 -0600 From: "Martin E. von Euw" Subject: Re: Swiss Guards - help required The Swiss were known as mercenaries throughout most of their early history. Since Switzerland was an extremely poor country, many of their men went off and fought for other countries from the 14th-16th centuries. Switzerland took action to become natural because in many cases brother fought brother on different sides. If you refer back to the 14-16th centuries, the Swiss were known as the most feared soldiers. They mastered the wedge with their pikes and were always victories even when out numbered (until their wedge and pikes became obsolete in modern day warfare). The problem the Swiss experienced was that they did not change with the times - still evident today :-). They felt that they had been successful with their battle strategy, but time changed this and the Swiss soon succumbed. Regarding the Swiss guard, the French King maintained a Swiss personal guard as his elite bodyguards. When the French hierarchy was overthrown in 1789 the Swiss fought (were slaughtered due to being out numbered) to the last man. Napoleon stated after viewing the slain troops that he never saw such a slaughter, but admired the honor in which the Swiss fought to the death defending the King even when given the opportunity to surrender. The Pope still maintains a Swiss guard and I have heard that the men who provide this service are considered the elite. I think their presence is more for an image rather than protection in our day. If you view them at the Vatican, they still wear the traditional uniform and carry the pike as a symbol of their defense. Best regards, Martin From: Andrew Tye Newsgroups: rec.org.sca Subject: Re: Swiss Guards Date: Mon, 10 Mar 1997 00:19:07 -0800 Organization: Oregon Public Networking On Sun, 9 Mar 1997, > Morgoth < wrote: > The Pope still maintains a Swiss guard and I have heard that the men who > provide this service are considered the elite. I think their presence is > more for an image rather than protection in our day. If you view them at > the Vatican, they still wear the traditional uniform and carry the pike as > a symbol of their defense. > > Best regards, > Martin Ivar here, A few years back, National Geographic did its cover story on the Swiss Guard at the Vatican. Quite interesting. There were two photographs however, that spoke to one's sense of anachronism. One was of a classic situation. An NCO chewing out a formation of new recruits. Only here the recruits were wearing modern military raincoats and carrying halberds. The other photograph was of an officer of the Swiss Guard wearing a Spanish-type morion helmet and the multi-coloured renaissance uniform designed by Michaelangelo. He was talking into a hand-held radio and had a submachine gun slung under his arm... Ivar Hakonarson Adiantum, An Tir. From: greycat at tribeca.ios.com (Greycat Sharpclaw) Newsgroups: rec.org.sca Subject: Re: Swiss Guards Date: Tue, 11 Mar 1997 03:26:37 GMT Organization: IDT >The Pope still maintains a Swiss guard and I have heard that the men who >provide this service are considered the elite. I think their presence is >more for an image rather than protection in our day. If you view them at >the Vatican, they still wear the traditional uniform and carry the pike as >a symbol of their defense. There are cerimonial displays of the Swiss guard at the Vatican. There are also Swiss guards around the pope with modern communications and combat equipment, in very uncerimonial business suits. These guards function much as the (US) secret service presidential guards, and are quite well trained. I am not sure if they are the same unit, with troop transfering back and forth; or if the cerimonial and functional guards are seperate. But the Swiss guard is *still* the real protective force of the pope. Lord Emrys Cador David M. Mann Barony of Settmour Swamp greycat at tribeca.ios.com Eastrealm From: yeshua at cia.com.au (Tasmanian Devil) Newsgroups: rec.org.sca Subject: Re: Swiss Guards Date: Wed, 12 Mar 1997 00:13:48 GMT On Tue, 11 Mar 1997 03:26:37 GMT, greycat at tribeca.ios.com (Greycat Sharpclaw) wrote: >I am not sure if they are the same unit, with troop transfering back >and forth; or if the cerimonial and functional guards are seperate. >But the Swiss guard is *still* the real protective force of the pope. I understand that the two roles are interchangable and that the guys in the parti-coloured uniforms can also field strip automatic weapons in the dark and kill with their bare hands. I am also under the impression that the guards are actually lay members of a semi-monastic order. Does anyone have any details? Cheers, ------------------------------------------------------------- Tim O'Neill 'Quid est Veritas?' Tasmanian Devil Pontius Pilatus yeshua at cia.com.au circa 33 AD Newsgroups: rec.org.sca From: shafer at spdcc.com (Mary Shafer) Subject: Re: Swiss Guards Organization: S.P. Dyer Computer Consulting, Cambridge MA Date: Tue, 11 Mar 1997 20:58:45 GMT Tasmanian Devil wrote: >I understand that the two roles are interchangable and that >the guys in the parti-coloured uniforms can also field strip >automatic weapons in the dark and kill with their bare >hands. The same is true of the various Guards regiments in the UK. They may be marching around in fancy bearskin hats for the tourists to photograph, but those are modern weapons that they carry and they've got all sorts of neat stuff like MBTs, APCs, and heavy weapons back at the barracks. And they all know how to use all of it. The same is true of the Greek evzones guarding the eternal flame, etc. Those flouncy white skirts, white tights, and fluffy red pompoms are accesorized with M-16s (or they were in 1974--they've no doubt gone on to something more modern by now) rather than flintlocks or jaziels. The uniform may be traditional, but the weapons aren't. However, I have formed the impression that the regiments (Prebiosky Guards? I just can't remember) that guard the Kremlin, etc, were not professional soldiers, even though they are well equipped. Rather, they are more like the sort of facility security that places like non-military government agencies (NASA, for example) have. Not soldiers, but armed guards to protect the premises. > I am also under the impression that the guards are >actually lay members of a semi-monastic order. Does anyone >have any details? I too have the feeling that there is more required than just the usual Swiss military stuff, in part because the Swiss military per se is not allowed to be used as mercenaries as the result of some treaty. I believe that I read this in "La Place de la Concorde Suisse" by John McPhee. Apparently the Swiss army used to be hired out all over Europe and earned a reputation for being ruthless, particularly about being paid, and not easily suborned. Somewhere along the line there was enough objection to this that the Swiss agreed to stop renting out their troops. However, the Vatican was an exception, probably cleverly managed to adhere to the words and still provide the guards. -- Mary Shafer DoD #0362 KotFR shafer at ursa-major.spdcc.com URL http://www.dfrc.nasa.gov/People/Shafer/mary.html From: djheydt at uclink.berkeley.edu (Dorothy J Heydt) Newsgroups: rec.org.sca Subject: Re: Swiss Guards Date: 11 Mar 1997 21:29:19 GMT Organization: University of California at Berkeley > I am also under the impression that the guards are >actually lay members of a semi-monastic order. Does anyone >have any details? I have an article on them somewhere about the house, published in some kind of Catholic magazine for the not very sophisticated. If I recall correctly, they must be Swiss citizens, practising Catholics, and unmarried (at least while they are enlisted men; I can't recall if they have married officers). That's about it, except they take an oath to protect the Pope with their lives. And they've had the opportunity to do it a time or two. Most do a several-years' tour of duty; some make a career of it. Dorothea of Caer-Myrddin Dorothy J. Heydt Mists/Mists/West Albany, California PRO DEO ET REGE djheydt at uclink Newsgroups: rec.org.sca From: shafer at spdcc.com (Mary Shafer) Subject: Re: Swiss Guards Organization: S.P. Dyer Computer Consulting, Cambridge MA Date: Wed, 12 Mar 1997 18:22:50 GMT Just a little follow-up on Swiss mercenaries. According to John McPhee in "La Place de la Concorde Suisse", the Confederation was not neutral until a serious defeat in 1515 (by the French, perhaps--I left the book at home). At that time, it renounced, both for itself and for the individual cantons, wars of aggression. The Confederation also discontinued renting out troops as mercenaries. (The other concepts of neutrality were accreted as time went by.) Until 1515, the Confederation troops were regarded as some of the best and most aggressive troops in Europe. There is an example where a few hundred Swiss soldiers, hopelessly outnumbered, suicidally charged the French army, killing about two thousand French troops. This was so unnerving to the French that they packed up and left. However, the cantons continued to rent out their troops as mercenaries. Gradually the practice died out, with the Vatican guards being the only vestige remaining. One last comment: being neutral does not mean being undefended. The Swiss Army is regarded as being one of the best armed, best trained, and best prepared forces in the world. The Israeli army, for example, is modeled after it. The Swiss visualize their military response to invasion as being like a procupine, with the soft underbelly protected in all directions by very sharp quills. -- Mary Shafer DoD #0362 KotFR shafer at ursa-major.spdcc.com URL http://www.dfrc.nasa.gov/People/Shafer/mary.html From: buckley at refuge.Colorado.EDU (Charles Buckley) Newsgroups: rec.org.sca Subject: Re: Swiss Guards Date: 12 Mar 1997 22:14:37 GMT Organization: University of Colorado at Boulder In article , Mary Shafer wrote: >One last comment: being neutral does not mean being undefended. The >Swiss Army is regarded as being one of the best armed, best trained, >and best prepared forces in the world. The Israeli army, for example, >is modeled after it. The Swiss visualize their military response to >invasion as being like a procupine, with the soft underbelly protected >in all directions by very sharp quills. The use of Swiss mercenaries was specifically banned in the Vienna Convention of 1815 (I think. It was the Treaties drawn up after Napolean's defeat. They also banned Letters of Marqui and other long time acts of war that was being phased out over time and were no longer useful in an age of national armies). An out of period story: In 1938, the German Ambassador to Switzerland was at a ball that was also attended by the commander of the Swiss army. The German Ambassador knew that the Swiss army at that time was about 250,000 men. (Roughly. In actuality it is a much higher number). In any case, he asked the Swiss general what the Swiss general would do if Germany invaded Switzerland with a 250,000 man army. The Swiss general did not hesitate. "I would issue each of my men 1 bullet". The German Ambassador then asked what the Swiss would do if the Germans invaded with 500,000 men. The Swiss general instantly replied "I would issue each of my men 2 bullets". From: "Martin E. von Euw" To: ,... Subject: Re: Help... Date: Fri, 15 Aug 1997 21:32:56 -0500 >I want to know if the international bodyguards that protect the Pope are >part of the Swiss Guard. Anyway: can any world citizen apply for being >his bodyguard? I mean, the real, "bad" ones, not the fancy dressed (or >are they the same thing?) > >Alcibiades Malapi >Philosophy Major The Vatican guard is made up of Swiss citizens. The guards were originally recruited from the three cantons of the Swiss confederacy, but now consist of citizens from all the Swiss cantons. These guards may carry the halberd and sword (the traditional weapons of medieval times), but have military and firearm training. To be considered a guard you must be a Swiss citizen, unmarried, Catholic and meet the required physical restrictions (age, weight and height) . Note: The fancy costumes you referenced were designed by Michelangelo. Martin Subject: The Cohors Helvetica......The Swiss Guard Date: Sun, 28 Jun 98 17:16:28 MST From: Chris Ashton To: "Mark.S Harris (rsve60)" While most of the credit for the creation of the 'Cohors Helvetica' (Corps of Swiss Guards) is given to Pope Julius II (1503-1513), the Holy See had made use of Swiss soldiers on many occasions prior. The Swiss had a reputation as fierce warriers, and most of the crowned heads of Europe maintained regiments of Swiss fighters. In 1512, Julius gave the Swiss Guard the title of 'Defensores Ecclesiae Libertatis' (Defenders of the Freedom of the Church). In May 1527, the Guard had to prove themselves as the Church's defenders, and protect the life of Clement VII. 147 Swiss Guards died fighting the invading German and Spanish armies of Charles V. On 6 May each year, the Guard remember the masacre, with the swearing in of new guards. At the ceremony, the Pope is represented by a cardinal-deacon. It opens with the papal anthem, and the swiss national anthem, and the unfurling of the papal flag, and the Swiss Guard banner (which incorporates the arms of Julius II, the arms of the reigning pope, the colours of the corps, and the arms of the present commandant. New guards, wearing full armour, march up and grasp the banner in their left hand, and raise their right hand with thumb and the first two fingers extended (symbolizing the Holy Trinity). The Chaplain of the Guard then administers the oath of allegiance in German. The new guard then responds, and seeks the protection of God, in his own native languarge. Since 1803, citizens of all Swiss cantons may enter the Guard (entry used to be restricted to those from the German-Swiss cantons). Under current Swiss regualtion, recruitment must be done informally. Recruits must be Episcopally Confirmed Roman Catholics, male, between 19 and 30 in age, bachelors, and taller than 5'9". They must also have references from their local bishop and priest, and from former Guard members, now returned to Switzerland. National service is compulsary in Switzerland, but the government will release anyone accepted for service in the Swiss Guard. The main purpose of the Swiss Guard is still the physical protection of The Pope, and since the assasination attempt on Pope John Paul II, the focus of Guard training has shifted to include all aspects of security and protection. While Guardsmen may look very smart in their colourful uniforms, each is highly trained in karate, judo, and the use of their ceremonial halberds. Under each of those striped tunics hides a semi-automatic pistol, and/or a sub-machine gun. The Popes body guards are drawn from the Swiss Guard, and travel with the Pope on every visit (albiet in smart suits, ties, and dark glasses - often talking into shirt cuff microphones!). The Guard's uniform is striped in the colours of the Medici family - red, blue, yellow - which gave the Church a number of renaissance popes. Although legend states that the uniform was designed by Michaelangelo, he in fact played no part in its design at all! Raphael played an indirect role in brightening up the uniform, but it arrived from Switzerland in a design very similar to that which we know today. There are 119 seperate peice to a guard's uniform, and each is made in the Guard's own tailor shop in the Sant'Anna Gate barracks, Vatican City. They may be kept by guardsmen and officers serving two or more terms. From: mikes at cs.indiana.edu (Michael Squires) Newsgroups: rec.org.sca,alt.religion.christian.roman-catholic,talk.politics.misc,soc.culture.swiss Subject: Re: 'Swiss Guards' - are they just ancient decorations? Date: Tue, 5 Apr 2005 02:05:39 +0000 (UTC) Organization: Computer Science, Indiana University Dorothy J Heydt wrote: >GHT wrote: >>Are these the guys that actually protect the pope? With primitive >>medieval weaponry and 15th century uniforms? (Interesting that when >>you're looking them you're looking right at the 15th century) I've seen the guards at work - an idiot tourist started through a door guarded by the Switzers leading from the from the interior (nave?) of St Peter's into some private area, and he stopped short when the two Switzers clashed the heads of their halberds about four feet in front of the tourist's nose. The tourist recoiled back (a reasonable response). The noise was quite loud, got everybody's attention. I'm quite sure that behind the two men in their ca 1500 century clothing, with their ca 1500 century weapons, there was modern support. I didn't know much about the use of two-handed weapons at the time, but it was obvious that the Switzers knew what they were doing. This was in spring, 1968. Alan Culross -- Mike Squires (mikes at cs.indiana.edu) 317 233 9456 (w) 812 333 6564 (h) mikes at siralan.org 546 N Park Ridge Rd., Bloomington, IN 47408 Date: Tue, 05 Apr 2005 19:19:43 -0500 From: "David J. Hughes" Newsgroups: rec.org.sca Subject: Re: 'Swiss Guards' - are they just ancient decorations? GHT wrote: > Are these the guys that actually protect the pope? With primitive > medieval weaponry and 15th century uniforms? (Interesting that when > you're looking them you're looking right at the 15th century) Quoting from The Banner of the Papal Swiss Guard by Walter Angst in The Flag Bulletin, 187, May-June 1999 "only unmarried Swiss males of the Catholic faith - historically, mainly from the four original Swiss cantons (Uri, Schwyz, Unterwalden, Luzern) and Valais - are eligible for service. Moreover, they must all be between 19 and 30 years of age, at least 174 cm tall and must have fulfilled their basic military training in the Swiss Army. They are privately contracted for this special Foreign Service for at least two years. No official is openly involved in the process, but usually the discreet services of some parish priests are used. Guard duty includes the bodyguard for the pontiff, the watch at the entrances to the city, the ceremonial honor guard, security at many religious and diplomatic functions, as well as information, surveillance, and similar service. The commander of the Swiss Guard is always a colonel. He belongs to the "pontifical family," holding the rank of a "Chamberlain of His Holiness." The pope alone appoints the commander. At present, the colonel commands a lieutenant colonel, a guard chaplain, a major, a captain, a master sergeant, four sergeants, 10 corporals, 10 vice-corporals, and 70 halberdiers. This makes up the Guard of 100 men, although in 1971 this force had dwindled to only 40 members. By law the Guard can be composed of at most 100 volunteers; hence it is called Hundertschweizer - (one hundred Swiss.) "Unlike the regiments of the former military Foreigh Service (which remained at times under the laws of the Swiss Confederation), the Swiss Guard is under the pope who, through the secretary of state of the Vatican, exercises far-reaching jurisdiction over his 100 Swiss. The Guards must live inside the walled city of the Vatican and they are considered citizens of the Vatican State during their years of active service. Since the Second Vatican Council, their famed steel breast-armor is normally worn only on one special ceremonial occasion - the yearly swearing-in ceremony of new Guards, which takes place on 6 May." The Papal Swiss Guard was founded in 1506. It is today largely ceremonial, but like the Guards in London they are a fully operational modern military force. When in ceremonial 16th century uniform, they keep their firearms in guard boxes nearby. The Papal Guard are the only mercenary unit permitted under Swiss law since 1859, and are the last of a long tradition of a million mercenaries in the world's armies. The Guard today consists of 5 officers, 25 NCOs and 70 halberdiers. .......annual swearing in of recruits on 6 May (and the Guard's principal ceremonial event). This is the anniversary of the 1527 sack of Rome when the 200-strong Guard defended Pope Clement VII against a Spanish-German army of 22,000. 147 were killed (including the Captain Kaspar Roist of Zurich), and the survivors took the Pope to Castel San Angelo where they held out for a month before negiotiating a surrender. Ironically Zurich was in the throws of the Reformation and had recalled the Captain and his fellow Zurichers. They decided to wait until the storm blew over, and paid for it with their lives. From: "Sumbuny" Newsgroups: rec.org.sca,alt.religion.christian.roman-catholic,talk.politics.misc,soc.culture.swiss Subject: Re: 'Swiss Guards' - are they just ancient decorations? Date: Thu, 7 Apr 2005 15:40:32 -0500 "Bill Bonde ('by a commodius vicus of recirculation')" > Swiss mercenaries made their reputations in the Middle Ages with, for > example, several thousand being trapped and outnumbered, I don't know, > something like ten to one, yet they insisted on fighting to the death to > the very last man. It's sort of a Samurai type thing. Here is their story, from the Vatican Site: http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/swiss_guard/index.htm History: http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/swiss_guard/swissguard/storia_en.htm Admission requirements: http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/swiss_guard/swissguard/ammissione_en.htm Buny Edited by Mark S. Harris SwissGuard-msg Page 11 of 11