Vatican City

Vatican City is an autonomous city-state, microstate, and enclave located in Rome, Italy. Its official name is the Vatican City State. The state, also known as the Vatican, gained its independence from Italy in 1929 through the Lateran Treaty. It is a separate territory that falls under the Holy See's "full ownership, exclusive dominion, and sovereign authority and jurisdiction", which upholds the city state's temporal, diplomatic, and spiritual independence. The Holy See is itself a sovereign entity under international law. Vatican City, which has been called the smallest country in the world, is a nation without a de jure military; nevertheless, this hasn't always been the case. There have historically been several military organizations established to defend the nation and, most importantly, the Pope.

Notably, while Pope Paul VI disbanded the Noble Guard and Palatine Guard in 1970, both organizations did exist. The Pontifical Swiss Guard is the clearest example of a militarized force in use today in Vatican City. Both the Pope and the Vatican Palace are to be safeguarded by this organization. There is also the Gendarmerie Corps, however this organization is viewed as a civilian as opposed to a military force. They are in charge of maintaining law and order, managing traffic, guarding borders, and looking into illegal activities.