1 00:00:00,240 --> 00:00:27,520 Speaker 1: Ridiculous History is a production of iHeartRadio. Welcome back to 2 00:00:27,560 --> 00:00:30,880 Speaker 1: the show, Ridiculous Historians. Thank you, as always so much 3 00:00:30,920 --> 00:00:33,840 Speaker 1: for tuning in. Let's hear for a super producer, mister 4 00:00:33,920 --> 00:00:34,800 Speaker 1: Max Williams. 5 00:00:34,880 --> 00:00:36,280 Speaker 2: Huzzah, huzza. 6 00:00:36,520 --> 00:00:38,680 Speaker 3: Is that what the Swiss say? Did they invent hazza? 7 00:00:38,680 --> 00:00:39,480 Speaker 3: That'd be pretty cool. 8 00:00:40,000 --> 00:00:41,000 Speaker 2: Have a story for y'all. 9 00:00:43,880 --> 00:00:45,880 Speaker 1: And before we get into the story, I've been bullying 10 00:00:45,960 --> 00:00:46,680 Speaker 1: you're an old brown? 11 00:00:46,960 --> 00:00:48,040 Speaker 3: Is that it's true? So? 12 00:00:48,240 --> 00:00:49,720 Speaker 2: Is this the first time I'm Yeah, this is the 13 00:00:49,720 --> 00:00:53,320 Speaker 2: first time I'm in air since my vacation and the. 14 00:00:53,200 --> 00:00:54,240 Speaker 3: First time in New York. 15 00:00:54,360 --> 00:00:56,800 Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, so yeah, I guess now that like I'm back, 16 00:00:56,840 --> 00:00:59,200 Speaker 2: I can say more details. I don't dox myself. I 17 00:00:59,240 --> 00:01:01,200 Speaker 2: went to the NBA, guys, I'm a big sports Fanily, 18 00:01:01,200 --> 00:01:03,120 Speaker 2: the lilne of Hawks were drafting number one overall. That 19 00:01:03,200 --> 00:01:05,120 Speaker 2: is not the cool story I have to tell. So 20 00:01:05,160 --> 00:01:08,280 Speaker 2: at the number eight overall pick, this guy named Rob 21 00:01:08,360 --> 00:01:10,880 Speaker 2: Dillingham got drafted by San Antonio Sports. I really liked 22 00:01:10,920 --> 00:01:13,039 Speaker 2: Rob Dillingham and he's gonna be great pro And I 23 00:01:13,080 --> 00:01:15,080 Speaker 2: was so I was celebrating, like that's a great big 24 00:01:15,080 --> 00:01:16,920 Speaker 2: of love that I didn't realize the guy in front 25 00:01:16,959 --> 00:01:20,440 Speaker 2: of me was celebrating like so much harder than I was, 26 00:01:20,440 --> 00:01:22,760 Speaker 2: because I was, you know, so self absorbing in myself. 27 00:01:23,319 --> 00:01:25,000 Speaker 2: So I'm just standing there. I'm talking about buddy Mike. 28 00:01:25,080 --> 00:01:26,520 Speaker 2: My buddy Mike had been talking to the guy in 29 00:01:26,520 --> 00:01:28,880 Speaker 2: front of him and then ook at my phone and like, oh, Mike, 30 00:01:29,280 --> 00:01:33,440 Speaker 2: Rob Dillingham got traded in Minnesota Timberwolves, and my buddy 31 00:01:33,480 --> 00:01:35,039 Speaker 2: Mike's like, hey, hey, happening a dude in front of me. 32 00:01:35,080 --> 00:01:37,600 Speaker 2: I tell that dude there. I told that dude. Long 33 00:01:37,600 --> 00:01:41,000 Speaker 2: story short. I broke the news of Rob Dillingham being 34 00:01:41,040 --> 00:01:45,440 Speaker 2: traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves to Rob Dillingham's older brother, Oh, 35 00:01:45,920 --> 00:01:48,280 Speaker 2: I can die happy? His response, Oh yeah, I didn't 36 00:01:48,280 --> 00:01:49,800 Speaker 2: want to go to San Antonio, Minnesota. 37 00:01:49,840 --> 00:01:52,640 Speaker 3: Way better. Was he Swiss? 38 00:01:53,120 --> 00:01:54,720 Speaker 2: He was not Swiss, and he was nothing with this 39 00:01:54,800 --> 00:01:57,600 Speaker 2: episodeh this is this is. 40 00:01:57,480 --> 00:02:00,640 Speaker 1: To show us that he had a fantastic time in 41 00:02:00,720 --> 00:02:05,880 Speaker 1: New York. Are you and Dillingham's younger brother gonna hang out? 42 00:02:06,560 --> 00:02:07,880 Speaker 2: I did not get his number. 43 00:02:08,400 --> 00:02:10,160 Speaker 1: I was hoping you were gonna be like his number 44 00:02:10,160 --> 00:02:13,600 Speaker 1: one trusted news source. Now like he calls Max to 45 00:02:13,639 --> 00:02:17,400 Speaker 1: see what's what's really breaking down, both in the US 46 00:02:17,520 --> 00:02:24,440 Speaker 1: and in Switzerland. Swazah, we are. We are finally doing it, folks. 47 00:02:24,840 --> 00:02:27,560 Speaker 1: It wasn't too too long ago that we did a 48 00:02:27,600 --> 00:02:32,040 Speaker 1: fantastic little episode on Vatican City, which I think we 49 00:02:32,160 --> 00:02:34,720 Speaker 1: all still want to travel to at some point, right. 50 00:02:35,040 --> 00:02:37,880 Speaker 3: Yeah, it's I don't know. It seems a little scary 51 00:02:38,360 --> 00:02:41,320 Speaker 3: for some weird vibes in Vatican City. 52 00:02:41,600 --> 00:02:44,720 Speaker 1: Yeah, we don't want to live there because we would 53 00:02:44,800 --> 00:02:48,519 Speaker 1: have to convert to we have to become part of 54 00:02:48,560 --> 00:02:49,119 Speaker 1: the priesthook. 55 00:02:49,200 --> 00:02:52,040 Speaker 3: Right do they receive tourists? Do you have to be 56 00:02:53,880 --> 00:02:57,240 Speaker 3: doesn't necessarily We could say it's a religious pilgrimage, you know, 57 00:02:57,400 --> 00:03:00,760 Speaker 3: just to kind of tick the boxes, but I don't know, 58 00:03:00,840 --> 00:03:03,760 Speaker 3: I think probably secular tourism is also okay, it is 59 00:03:03,919 --> 00:03:05,960 Speaker 3: in fact a historical site. 60 00:03:06,160 --> 00:03:08,959 Speaker 1: Yeah, Or we could try to join the Swiss Guard. 61 00:03:09,040 --> 00:03:11,040 Speaker 1: This is what we were talking about in part of 62 00:03:11,120 --> 00:03:13,840 Speaker 1: the Vatican City episode, right, I believe that was the 63 00:03:13,880 --> 00:03:18,200 Speaker 1: episode and we all got so fascinated with this that 64 00:03:18,320 --> 00:03:21,240 Speaker 1: we said we should do an entire show on the 65 00:03:21,240 --> 00:03:25,639 Speaker 1: Swiss Guard, And thanks to our research associate mister Max Williams, 66 00:03:25,840 --> 00:03:27,600 Speaker 1: we are doing so to day. 67 00:03:34,520 --> 00:03:40,080 Speaker 3: Oh, the Swiss Guard they have they dress eerily similar, 68 00:03:40,240 --> 00:03:42,480 Speaker 3: maybe not exactly, but like it reminds me of those 69 00:03:43,000 --> 00:03:44,960 Speaker 3: what are those guards called that kind of look like 70 00:03:45,000 --> 00:03:47,960 Speaker 3: the dudes that guarded the wicked Witch of the West 71 00:03:48,000 --> 00:03:51,520 Speaker 3: Palace and the yeah, the Beefeaters. They look kind of 72 00:03:51,640 --> 00:03:55,400 Speaker 3: beefeater esque. But they also their helmets have this cute 73 00:03:55,400 --> 00:03:59,760 Speaker 3: little little plume versus the weird giant like you know, 74 00:04:00,200 --> 00:04:01,560 Speaker 3: and play kind of hat. 75 00:04:02,160 --> 00:04:05,880 Speaker 1: Yes, yeah, this is uh, this is from that kind 76 00:04:06,120 --> 00:04:12,560 Speaker 1: that school of very specific military uniforms that are uh, 77 00:04:13,120 --> 00:04:16,400 Speaker 1: much less homogeneous than the uniforms that you'll see in 78 00:04:16,440 --> 00:04:18,080 Speaker 1: a lot of modern militaries today. 79 00:04:18,400 --> 00:04:21,640 Speaker 3: Fancy looking, they got a rough you know, they've got 80 00:04:21,640 --> 00:04:24,560 Speaker 3: the kind of peaked helmet. Uh, I mean, I know, 81 00:04:24,920 --> 00:04:27,520 Speaker 3: I know that like legitimate Swiss Guard. Probably this is 82 00:04:27,600 --> 00:04:31,719 Speaker 3: more of like a traditional kind of ceremonial outfit or whatever. 83 00:04:31,839 --> 00:04:34,040 Speaker 3: But it doesn't look like it would be very conducive 84 00:04:34,120 --> 00:04:40,280 Speaker 3: to to do in war. But neither is Switzerland. Yeah, Uh, 85 00:04:40,440 --> 00:04:43,480 Speaker 3: it's the It's complicated, right, It's. 86 00:04:43,400 --> 00:04:47,520 Speaker 1: The country that is legendary for its banking. 87 00:04:48,080 --> 00:04:48,200 Speaker 3: Uh. 88 00:04:48,440 --> 00:04:52,400 Speaker 1: You hear a lot about Swiss chocolate and the mountains 89 00:04:53,080 --> 00:04:56,880 Speaker 1: and the outrageous cost of living and how expensive it 90 00:04:56,920 --> 00:04:59,840 Speaker 1: is to be a tourist. There U better known as 91 00:04:59,880 --> 00:05:04,680 Speaker 1: the the Swiss Confederation. It's a small, landlocked country right 92 00:05:04,720 --> 00:05:07,640 Speaker 1: in the middle of Europe. It's not super big. It's 93 00:05:07,640 --> 00:05:12,000 Speaker 1: about fifteen nine and forty three square miles, making it 94 00:05:12,080 --> 00:05:16,120 Speaker 1: not a micro nation, but the thirty first biggest country 95 00:05:16,240 --> 00:05:21,000 Speaker 1: in Europe. So it's a small guy amid a land 96 00:05:21,040 --> 00:05:21,839 Speaker 1: of small guys. 97 00:05:22,000 --> 00:05:26,720 Speaker 3: That's right. I mentioned the Swiss not being particularly interested 98 00:05:26,880 --> 00:05:31,120 Speaker 3: in warring, and that's because around fifteen fifteen, the Swiss 99 00:05:31,120 --> 00:05:37,440 Speaker 3: Confederacy lost brutally in a battle against the French, the 100 00:05:37,480 --> 00:05:43,279 Speaker 3: Battle of Marignano, and this apparently created a sort of 101 00:05:43,600 --> 00:05:50,400 Speaker 3: domino effect of events that led to moves towards neutrality. Yeah. 102 00:05:50,480 --> 00:05:53,839 Speaker 1: This comes to us from Evan Andrews in Wya, Switzerland 103 00:05:53,880 --> 00:05:57,599 Speaker 1: and Neutral Country, writing for history dot Com. It was 104 00:05:57,720 --> 00:06:01,240 Speaker 1: after this defeat that you were describing that the Swiss 105 00:06:01,240 --> 00:06:06,120 Speaker 1: Confederacy says, look, we've got enough land. We're not gonna 106 00:06:06,120 --> 00:06:09,520 Speaker 1: try to take over other neighboring kingdoms. And as a 107 00:06:09,560 --> 00:06:11,840 Speaker 1: matter of fact, we're not gonna try to start fights 108 00:06:12,800 --> 00:06:17,160 Speaker 1: with anybody. We're just for now we're gonna stay like 109 00:06:17,240 --> 00:06:19,960 Speaker 1: Switzerland for the Swiss, and we're just gonna watch our 110 00:06:20,000 --> 00:06:23,599 Speaker 1: own backs. And then the Napoleonic Wars happened. This is 111 00:06:23,600 --> 00:06:27,680 Speaker 1: what made Switzerland a permanently neutral nation because in seventeen 112 00:06:27,800 --> 00:06:31,039 Speaker 1: ninety eight France invaded them, even though they didn't do 113 00:06:31,080 --> 00:06:32,119 Speaker 1: anything right. 114 00:06:32,200 --> 00:06:36,279 Speaker 3: Switzerland was invaded by France and later on was made 115 00:06:36,400 --> 00:06:43,320 Speaker 3: a satellite I guess city state of the Napoleonic Empire, 116 00:06:43,720 --> 00:06:46,240 Speaker 3: like a vassal or puttot. That's exactly right, that's what 117 00:06:46,279 --> 00:06:50,800 Speaker 3: I was looking for, ben thanks, And this did force 118 00:06:50,920 --> 00:06:55,720 Speaker 3: them to compromise their new found neutrality. But after Napoleon 119 00:06:55,920 --> 00:07:02,920 Speaker 3: got his gear banded to him, well okay for a minute, 120 00:07:03,120 --> 00:07:05,400 Speaker 3: then he lost it. He got his ass handed to 121 00:07:05,480 --> 00:07:09,680 Speaker 3: him in Waterloo, as we know, and then the European 122 00:07:09,760 --> 00:07:14,720 Speaker 3: powers decided that neutral Switzerland sounds like actually a pretty 123 00:07:14,760 --> 00:07:18,800 Speaker 3: good deal. It allows them to be part of the 124 00:07:18,800 --> 00:07:22,240 Speaker 3: international community in such a way where they can kind 125 00:07:22,280 --> 00:07:26,920 Speaker 3: of weigh in on things without having exactly having skin 126 00:07:27,000 --> 00:07:29,400 Speaker 3: in the game, kind of, if that makes sense. Because 127 00:07:29,440 --> 00:07:33,160 Speaker 3: during the Congress of Vienna they signed this declaration affirming 128 00:07:33,200 --> 00:07:38,080 Speaker 3: the Switzerland would be perpetually neutral within the international community. 129 00:07:38,080 --> 00:07:41,920 Speaker 3: And we know things like the International Criminal Court is 130 00:07:41,960 --> 00:07:43,480 Speaker 3: a thing that takes place in. 131 00:07:43,560 --> 00:07:49,120 Speaker 1: Switzerland do very much to that neutrality. Yeah, Switzerland's neutrality 132 00:07:49,440 --> 00:07:53,080 Speaker 1: made a lot of sense at the time, as this cooler, 133 00:07:53,360 --> 00:07:58,280 Speaker 1: this geographical cooler between Austria and France, right, and having 134 00:07:58,320 --> 00:08:01,680 Speaker 1: one country that is definitely always going to be peaceful 135 00:08:02,240 --> 00:08:05,600 Speaker 1: is pretty helpful in the grand scheme of things. So 136 00:08:06,560 --> 00:08:10,880 Speaker 1: the buffer almost right, right, yeah, or the cooler like 137 00:08:10,920 --> 00:08:14,000 Speaker 1: that Bartender movie or that Roadhouse movie. 138 00:08:14,080 --> 00:08:18,720 Speaker 3: Roadhouse, Yes, wasn't the cooler just like karate chops and 139 00:08:19,080 --> 00:08:22,160 Speaker 3: kicks ass, though the Swiss are a little more, a 140 00:08:22,200 --> 00:08:23,280 Speaker 3: little more taciturn. 141 00:08:23,400 --> 00:08:28,520 Speaker 1: Their martial art is neutrality. So this stance here makes 142 00:08:28,560 --> 00:08:30,600 Speaker 1: sense at the time, it makes sense now, but it 143 00:08:30,680 --> 00:08:34,640 Speaker 1: also makes it even stranger that His Holiness the Pope, 144 00:08:35,200 --> 00:08:39,280 Speaker 1: the leader of the Catholic Church, is protected specifically even today, 145 00:08:39,280 --> 00:08:42,320 Speaker 1: in twenty twenty four, by the Swiss Guard. So in 146 00:08:42,320 --> 00:08:45,560 Speaker 1: today's story, we're gonna look at how this small group 147 00:08:46,120 --> 00:08:50,400 Speaker 1: from a neutral country became the personal bodyguards for one 148 00:08:50,440 --> 00:08:53,840 Speaker 1: of the most powerful living people on the planet. It 149 00:08:53,920 --> 00:08:58,400 Speaker 1: doesn't really click, doesn It's sort of weird. Why don't 150 00:08:58,440 --> 00:09:02,120 Speaker 1: they have like Vatican its like again, like the beefeeders 151 00:09:02,160 --> 00:09:05,560 Speaker 1: in London, what did the Swiss have to do with 152 00:09:05,720 --> 00:09:09,400 Speaker 1: the pope at all? And it turns out it does 153 00:09:09,520 --> 00:09:13,960 Speaker 1: go back to that whole neutrality thing in a way 154 00:09:13,960 --> 00:09:16,960 Speaker 1: that you might not expect, right, And we have to 155 00:09:17,040 --> 00:09:22,400 Speaker 1: answer this by explaining, yes, Switzerland, despite being a neutral country, 156 00:09:22,920 --> 00:09:25,800 Speaker 1: does have a military, kind of like how Japan has 157 00:09:25,840 --> 00:09:30,400 Speaker 1: a self defense force instead of an army. Switzerland's defense 158 00:09:30,480 --> 00:09:35,440 Speaker 1: systems were once upon a time, like many other systems 159 00:09:35,480 --> 00:09:38,880 Speaker 1: in feudal Europe, it was up to the local town 160 00:09:39,240 --> 00:09:42,320 Speaker 1: right or the local community to raise a bunch of 161 00:09:42,320 --> 00:09:47,000 Speaker 1: people who were maybe farmers most of the time threat yeah, 162 00:09:47,160 --> 00:09:50,520 Speaker 1: militia esque, and they became an organized army or they 163 00:09:50,559 --> 00:09:52,240 Speaker 1: became an ad hoc army. 164 00:09:52,240 --> 00:09:55,079 Speaker 3: For a time, a little more organization got injected in 165 00:09:55,160 --> 00:09:56,280 Speaker 3: the proceedings, right. 166 00:09:56,240 --> 00:09:59,520 Speaker 1: Right, seventeen ninety eight, eighteen oh three, the Helvedic era. 167 00:10:00,200 --> 00:10:02,480 Speaker 1: Wonder if that has anything to do with the health 168 00:10:04,080 --> 00:10:08,400 Speaker 1: I hope there was a war over foughts. That's going 169 00:10:08,440 --> 00:10:10,680 Speaker 1: to start a war in and of itself that led 170 00:10:10,720 --> 00:10:16,800 Speaker 1: to the first organized party in Switzerland. During during these 171 00:10:16,920 --> 00:10:22,440 Speaker 1: decades and the decades following seventeen ninety eight, Switzerland was 172 00:10:22,480 --> 00:10:25,080 Speaker 1: into the idea of creating what they would call a 173 00:10:25,120 --> 00:10:29,320 Speaker 1: confederate army. In eighteen fifteen, like you were saying earlier, 174 00:10:29,679 --> 00:10:35,319 Speaker 1: when Europe's major powers recognized neutrality and independence. For Switzerland, 175 00:10:36,160 --> 00:10:43,480 Speaker 1: national defense becomes a huge defining strategic goal for their military. 176 00:10:43,640 --> 00:10:47,640 Speaker 1: So maybe not adventuring abroad, but making sure no one 177 00:10:47,679 --> 00:10:48,480 Speaker 1: can come in. 178 00:10:48,679 --> 00:10:50,640 Speaker 3: Right, And isn't it fight too, like I sort of 179 00:10:50,640 --> 00:10:53,640 Speaker 3: briefly touched on it, But the idea of an expansionist 180 00:10:54,120 --> 00:10:56,360 Speaker 3: sort of I guess what's the word I'm looking for, 181 00:10:56,559 --> 00:10:59,200 Speaker 3: sort of philosophy. I guess maybe that's not even the 182 00:10:59,240 --> 00:11:04,000 Speaker 3: right word. But you know, we might argue in today's 183 00:11:04,520 --> 00:11:08,199 Speaker 3: climate that the US is not expansionist in the ways 184 00:11:08,200 --> 00:11:10,360 Speaker 3: that we used to think of what that meant, meaning 185 00:11:10,360 --> 00:11:14,160 Speaker 3: that we're like always out there seeking other lands to conquer. 186 00:11:14,440 --> 00:11:17,160 Speaker 3: We officially don't do that, but we also totally do 187 00:11:17,160 --> 00:11:19,720 Speaker 3: do that through like proxy wars and all kinds of 188 00:11:19,760 --> 00:11:22,960 Speaker 3: other things, Right, wouldn't you say? Yeah? 189 00:11:23,120 --> 00:11:26,360 Speaker 1: Yeah, it depends on how narrow of a scope we 190 00:11:26,400 --> 00:11:29,720 Speaker 1: want to use to define expansion because to your point, 191 00:11:30,280 --> 00:11:34,000 Speaker 1: the US has not picked up a fifty first state 192 00:11:34,200 --> 00:11:36,840 Speaker 1: in our lifetime, but they've also done a lot of 193 00:11:36,840 --> 00:11:37,679 Speaker 1: other things. 194 00:11:37,480 --> 00:11:40,120 Speaker 3: A lot of occupation, which one could argue is in 195 00:11:40,160 --> 00:11:42,920 Speaker 3: its own way, sort of an ad hoc form of expansionism, 196 00:11:43,080 --> 00:11:46,720 Speaker 3: whereas the Swiss they're not doing that, they're not seeking that, 197 00:11:46,800 --> 00:11:50,719 Speaker 3: they're not setting up, you know, military outposts in other 198 00:11:50,800 --> 00:11:54,360 Speaker 3: countries because they're not participating in the war. Therefore they're 199 00:11:54,360 --> 00:11:57,120 Speaker 3: not getting any of the spoils. And if you go 200 00:11:57,240 --> 00:11:59,880 Speaker 3: to the Swiss Info channel, you'll see that they do 201 00:12:00,120 --> 00:12:02,880 Speaker 3: have an army. The current army is at one hundred 202 00:12:02,920 --> 00:12:06,240 Speaker 3: and forty seven thousand people, whoa way bigger than I 203 00:12:06,280 --> 00:12:06,880 Speaker 3: would have thought. 204 00:12:07,200 --> 00:12:11,120 Speaker 1: Yeah, right, it's actually higher than the one allowed by law. 205 00:12:11,280 --> 00:12:15,280 Speaker 1: The regular number, according to the Swiss government, should be 206 00:12:15,440 --> 00:12:19,080 Speaker 1: one hundred thousand around about ballpark one hundred thousand, with 207 00:12:19,160 --> 00:12:23,240 Speaker 1: a maximum of one hundred and forty thousand. And the 208 00:12:23,320 --> 00:12:25,920 Speaker 1: Swiss government has said, yeah, we know the law hasn't 209 00:12:25,960 --> 00:12:29,199 Speaker 1: caught up, but we need to. 210 00:12:29,200 --> 00:12:32,440 Speaker 3: Have our numbers right around here for right now. 211 00:12:32,760 --> 00:12:36,720 Speaker 1: Because I like this word, because it is this is 212 00:12:36,720 --> 00:12:39,640 Speaker 1: a very Swiss thing to say. It is inappropriate to 213 00:12:39,679 --> 00:12:43,240 Speaker 1: reduce the current size of the army given the geopolitical 214 00:12:43,400 --> 00:12:47,520 Speaker 1: situation highly inappropriate. And then again, you can't really be 215 00:12:47,920 --> 00:12:51,800 Speaker 1: fully neutral if you can't protect yourself, right, that's a 216 00:12:51,840 --> 00:12:52,560 Speaker 1: big part of this. 217 00:12:52,679 --> 00:12:55,040 Speaker 3: So it's not like they're just hanging out there in 218 00:12:55,080 --> 00:12:58,560 Speaker 3: the wind. They definitely can put their money in their 219 00:12:58,640 --> 00:13:01,400 Speaker 3: Swiss bank accounts where they're mouth bazar, you know. Yeah. 220 00:13:01,400 --> 00:13:06,520 Speaker 1: And they're also at they're a legit military. They're actively training, 221 00:13:06,640 --> 00:13:10,800 Speaker 1: you know what I mean, they're not ceremonial. And the 222 00:13:10,840 --> 00:13:15,360 Speaker 1: one important statistic for anybody wondering about that maximum army 223 00:13:15,400 --> 00:13:18,079 Speaker 1: size or current army size, that's one hundred and forty 224 00:13:18,080 --> 00:13:22,360 Speaker 1: seven thousand people out of a population of around eight. 225 00:13:22,200 --> 00:13:25,760 Speaker 3: Point seven million and eight point six million, I would say, 226 00:13:25,800 --> 00:13:29,080 Speaker 3: And do they have like something resembling the draft over there? 227 00:13:29,160 --> 00:13:30,599 Speaker 3: Isn't that right? Us? You put a little note in 228 00:13:30,640 --> 00:13:32,559 Speaker 3: here about Swiss conscription. 229 00:13:33,160 --> 00:13:38,280 Speaker 1: Yes, Switzerland does have conscription, or it has a mandatory 230 00:13:38,320 --> 00:13:42,480 Speaker 1: military service. We should say, once you become an adult, 231 00:13:42,960 --> 00:13:47,400 Speaker 1: if you're a male citizen, then you have to serve 232 00:13:47,800 --> 00:13:52,520 Speaker 1: in the armed forces of Switzerland. Women may also volunteer 233 00:13:52,640 --> 00:13:57,400 Speaker 1: for any position. This was interesting because you know how 234 00:13:57,559 --> 00:14:00,480 Speaker 1: people are really divided on the draft here in the 235 00:14:00,600 --> 00:14:06,640 Speaker 1: United States. Yeah, right, in twenty thirteen, Switzerland held a 236 00:14:06,720 --> 00:14:10,240 Speaker 1: referendum and said, hey, should we get rid of conscription? 237 00:14:10,520 --> 00:14:14,319 Speaker 1: Should we abolish it such that every Swiss citizen can 238 00:14:14,520 --> 00:14:16,840 Speaker 1: just decide if they want to serve in the military 239 00:14:16,960 --> 00:14:22,120 Speaker 1: or not. Seventy three percent of people in Switzerland voted 240 00:14:22,520 --> 00:14:24,480 Speaker 1: to keep conscription, so. 241 00:14:24,440 --> 00:14:27,800 Speaker 3: They're on board with it. They're weirdly on board. Very interesting. 242 00:14:27,880 --> 00:14:31,240 Speaker 3: You got a wonder too with what did you mention 243 00:14:31,320 --> 00:14:33,360 Speaker 3: the population ben of Switzerland? 244 00:14:33,440 --> 00:14:37,400 Speaker 1: Yeah, eight point it's eight point five seven in twenty nineteen. 245 00:14:39,600 --> 00:14:41,560 Speaker 3: One would I mean, you know, I'm just doing some 246 00:14:42,000 --> 00:14:44,040 Speaker 3: what you call cocktail math here, but like you know, 247 00:14:44,080 --> 00:14:46,840 Speaker 3: with that many people in the population, which obviously isn't massive, 248 00:14:47,160 --> 00:14:48,920 Speaker 3: it doesn't seem like it would be that hard to 249 00:14:48,960 --> 00:14:53,400 Speaker 3: keep one hundred and forty thousand soldiers voluntarily, you know, enlisted. 250 00:14:53,720 --> 00:14:55,360 Speaker 3: But also doesn't it seem like a bit of a 251 00:14:55,400 --> 00:14:58,640 Speaker 3: safer army to be enlisted into than say the US 252 00:14:58,840 --> 00:15:02,960 Speaker 3: army or you know, the UK. Yeah, and then also 253 00:15:03,120 --> 00:15:05,480 Speaker 3: a lot of people without getting two in the weeds 254 00:15:05,480 --> 00:15:07,800 Speaker 3: in this. You're absolutely right. I agree with you. That's 255 00:15:07,800 --> 00:15:08,520 Speaker 3: a great point. 256 00:15:09,720 --> 00:15:12,880 Speaker 1: About one fifth of the people who get conscripted get 257 00:15:12,920 --> 00:15:18,760 Speaker 1: found unfit for military service or civilian service, because if 258 00:15:18,800 --> 00:15:21,000 Speaker 1: you don't want to go to the military, right, if 259 00:15:21,040 --> 00:15:23,280 Speaker 1: you only go into the military, you could go for 260 00:15:23,600 --> 00:15:29,640 Speaker 1: civilian service, like helping the elderly or reconstructing sites of 261 00:15:29,680 --> 00:15:36,040 Speaker 1: cultural heritage. If you get exempt from the service, you 262 00:15:36,160 --> 00:15:39,880 Speaker 1: have to pay an extra three percent income tax until 263 00:15:39,880 --> 00:15:40,760 Speaker 1: you're thirty. 264 00:15:40,480 --> 00:15:42,120 Speaker 3: Seven, I could add up. 265 00:15:42,520 --> 00:15:45,480 Speaker 1: See, so they've got they've got a system of carrots 266 00:15:45,520 --> 00:15:46,280 Speaker 1: and sticks. 267 00:15:45,960 --> 00:15:54,720 Speaker 3: Here, they've got their Swiss hooks and you. So the 268 00:15:54,800 --> 00:15:57,520 Speaker 3: law of neutrality, which is what we're talking about here, 269 00:15:58,240 --> 00:16:03,760 Speaker 3: was codified in the Hey Conventions of October eighteenth, nineteen 270 00:16:03,760 --> 00:16:09,720 Speaker 3: oh seven as part of international customary law. And I 271 00:16:09,760 --> 00:16:13,960 Speaker 3: believe this is from the Yeah, Federal Department of Foreign 272 00:16:13,960 --> 00:16:18,360 Speaker 3: Affairs of Switzerland's official website. So, yeah, they have something 273 00:16:18,400 --> 00:16:21,760 Speaker 3: called customary law. And this defines the rights and obligations 274 00:16:21,800 --> 00:16:25,840 Speaker 3: of a neutral state. Reading directly from the resource, the 275 00:16:25,840 --> 00:16:30,560 Speaker 3: most important of these rights is the inviolability of a 276 00:16:30,640 --> 00:16:32,000 Speaker 3: neutral states territory. 277 00:16:32,240 --> 00:16:38,680 Speaker 1: Yeah, this is FAFO. This is legitimate FAFO. They're very 278 00:16:38,720 --> 00:16:42,960 Speaker 1: careful to say, with this doctrine of our neutrality that 279 00:16:44,160 --> 00:16:47,800 Speaker 1: we are not going to go out to Hungary or 280 00:16:47,800 --> 00:16:52,120 Speaker 1: whatever and wreck a town. But if the Hungarians or 281 00:16:52,200 --> 00:16:56,880 Speaker 1: anyone comes in or threatens the sanctity of our state 282 00:16:56,920 --> 00:17:00,640 Speaker 1: and our sovereignty, then we are going to react swiftly 283 00:17:01,000 --> 00:17:06,440 Speaker 1: and with overwhelming force. Again, it's a trained force. As 284 00:17:06,480 --> 00:17:11,879 Speaker 1: a trained military, they're not just you know, skipping about 285 00:17:12,040 --> 00:17:16,200 Speaker 1: in their furry plumed caps like. They can definitely defend 286 00:17:16,520 --> 00:17:20,399 Speaker 1: their territory. There are some other ones, the actual obligations 287 00:17:20,440 --> 00:17:23,880 Speaker 1: of the neutral state themselves, sort of the flip side 288 00:17:23,880 --> 00:17:27,639 Speaker 1: of it, which includes not allowing belligerent. 289 00:17:27,080 --> 00:17:30,040 Speaker 3: States to use its territory. Yeah, so a lot of 290 00:17:30,040 --> 00:17:33,679 Speaker 3: this is international community type stuff, refraining from engaging in 291 00:17:33,760 --> 00:17:40,960 Speaker 3: war and not supplying mercenary troops to belligerent states and 292 00:17:40,960 --> 00:17:45,199 Speaker 3: against belligerent states. Is that defined clearly? Is it like 293 00:17:45,240 --> 00:17:47,520 Speaker 3: if you're not in the UN? Or like, what is 294 00:17:47,560 --> 00:17:51,159 Speaker 3: a belligerent? It could change depending on the climate. I 295 00:17:51,160 --> 00:17:52,560 Speaker 3: imagine it could. 296 00:17:52,800 --> 00:17:57,040 Speaker 1: Belligerent states don't usually see themselves as belligerent, you know, 297 00:17:57,960 --> 00:18:02,720 Speaker 1: things like Department of the Offense. But so o wait, 298 00:18:02,800 --> 00:18:07,000 Speaker 1: now I'm imagining the Swiss has the Swiss government has 299 00:18:07,000 --> 00:18:09,480 Speaker 1: something like that, but it's in a Brooklyn accident and 300 00:18:09,520 --> 00:18:12,680 Speaker 1: they're like Department of Defense and it's just like a fence. 301 00:18:13,119 --> 00:18:15,680 Speaker 3: I'm loving the idea of their borders are just guarded 302 00:18:15,720 --> 00:18:18,760 Speaker 3: by like a single white picket fence. It's very well 303 00:18:18,840 --> 00:18:21,880 Speaker 3: maintained and it's governed by the Department of Defence. 304 00:18:22,320 --> 00:18:27,359 Speaker 1: Yes, Defense, So the there are some tricky things here. 305 00:18:27,760 --> 00:18:32,159 Speaker 1: Belligerent or nation would be defined by a nation that 306 00:18:32,280 --> 00:18:35,040 Speaker 1: violates agreements of the international. 307 00:18:34,359 --> 00:18:37,480 Speaker 3: Community, so change yeah. 308 00:18:38,200 --> 00:18:43,560 Speaker 1: And the other thing though, is the banking, because are 309 00:18:43,640 --> 00:18:47,439 Speaker 1: you not helping a belligerent state? 310 00:18:47,840 --> 00:18:48,399 Speaker 3: Are you not? 311 00:18:48,560 --> 00:18:50,840 Speaker 1: If you're moving money, are you not in some way 312 00:18:51,119 --> 00:18:53,800 Speaker 1: supplying troops for a belligerent state? 313 00:18:54,560 --> 00:18:57,760 Speaker 3: You are at the very least a conduit to the 314 00:18:57,880 --> 00:19:01,800 Speaker 3: funds that are paying for and supplying troops to I'd 315 00:19:01,840 --> 00:19:03,200 Speaker 3: love to take a minute here just to talk. I 316 00:19:03,280 --> 00:19:04,800 Speaker 3: know we've probably talked about this in the past, just 317 00:19:04,840 --> 00:19:09,639 Speaker 3: to somewhat demystify Swiss banking. It's not dissimilar to the 318 00:19:09,640 --> 00:19:14,760 Speaker 3: way their tax loopholes in Delaware here in the United States, 319 00:19:14,800 --> 00:19:18,880 Speaker 3: but this is on a much more international kind of stage. 320 00:19:19,320 --> 00:19:23,320 Speaker 3: And what exactly are the benefits of a Swiss bank account? 321 00:19:23,359 --> 00:19:26,680 Speaker 3: And it almost seems like that time maybe has passed 322 00:19:26,720 --> 00:19:29,600 Speaker 3: a little bit, Like I feel as though I've been 323 00:19:29,640 --> 00:19:31,840 Speaker 3: reading that. It's no longer what it used to be 324 00:19:32,320 --> 00:19:35,000 Speaker 3: in terms of like the James bondness of it all. 325 00:19:35,400 --> 00:19:38,959 Speaker 1: Yeah, now you want to have something more like a 326 00:19:39,359 --> 00:19:45,000 Speaker 1: freeport if you can swing that, or banks in different countries, 327 00:19:45,200 --> 00:19:48,480 Speaker 1: maybe closer to the stereotype of a Swiss bank account. 328 00:19:48,920 --> 00:19:53,600 Speaker 1: So back in the day, they were associated with money 329 00:19:53,640 --> 00:19:58,920 Speaker 1: laundering writ large right, stolen Nazi gold artifacts stolen during 330 00:19:59,000 --> 00:20:04,080 Speaker 1: World War Two, drug lords and cartels and business tycoons 331 00:20:04,520 --> 00:20:08,200 Speaker 1: swirling away their money to avoid paying taxes, and they 332 00:20:08,200 --> 00:20:11,439 Speaker 1: were the idea was like in the world of fiction 333 00:20:11,600 --> 00:20:15,040 Speaker 1: and film, the idea was, no matter who you were, 334 00:20:15,280 --> 00:20:18,919 Speaker 1: you just had to have this number, the banking number, 335 00:20:19,119 --> 00:20:21,800 Speaker 1: and then a couple of other codes, and you could 336 00:20:21,800 --> 00:20:25,679 Speaker 1: go in and play with ungodly amounts of money without 337 00:20:25,800 --> 00:20:30,520 Speaker 1: necessarily verifying your identity. And the Swiss banking institutions would 338 00:20:30,640 --> 00:20:33,639 Speaker 1: never give you up upon pain of death. That is 339 00:20:33,760 --> 00:20:36,240 Speaker 1: no longer true. They have to verify your identity. 340 00:20:36,280 --> 00:20:39,240 Speaker 3: Now this is where you see like the Jason Bournes 341 00:20:39,280 --> 00:20:42,120 Speaker 3: of the world going in and doing a retinal scan 342 00:20:42,200 --> 00:20:46,520 Speaker 3: and getting a suitcase full of like different identity passports, 343 00:20:46,960 --> 00:20:50,480 Speaker 3: handgun and like currency from different countries but it does 344 00:20:50,520 --> 00:20:55,480 Speaker 3: appear though. While Swiss banking is still considered of the 345 00:20:55,600 --> 00:21:00,840 Speaker 3: highest level of client confidentiality possible in the world, there 346 00:21:00,920 --> 00:21:04,120 Speaker 3: is something called the Financial Secrecy Index of twenty twenty two. 347 00:21:05,359 --> 00:21:07,399 Speaker 3: It is no longer what it used to be in 348 00:21:07,440 --> 00:21:09,240 Speaker 3: the fact that they use. It's not used as a 349 00:21:09,320 --> 00:21:13,040 Speaker 3: tax shelter as much. Apparently today there's practically no untaxed 350 00:21:13,080 --> 00:21:17,360 Speaker 3: money left in Switzerland and the days of that complete 351 00:21:17,440 --> 00:21:20,320 Speaker 3: anonymity that you're talking about are long gone. 352 00:21:20,880 --> 00:21:23,840 Speaker 1: Yeah, you can still sort of do it setting up 353 00:21:23,880 --> 00:21:28,960 Speaker 1: an account by number only, but it's more expensive. It's 354 00:21:29,000 --> 00:21:31,960 Speaker 1: pretty much the same process of verification, and the only 355 00:21:32,040 --> 00:21:35,360 Speaker 1: difference is a couple of folks in upper management will 356 00:21:35,400 --> 00:21:39,040 Speaker 1: know your identity, but there are still records of ownership. 357 00:21:39,640 --> 00:21:45,639 Speaker 1: Swiss law is still it still forbids you to accept 358 00:21:46,400 --> 00:21:50,040 Speaker 1: money as a banker if you are if you have 359 00:21:50,160 --> 00:21:52,600 Speaker 1: suspicion that it might be the result of a crime. 360 00:21:53,359 --> 00:21:58,080 Speaker 1: And also it's still like it's still against the law 361 00:21:58,359 --> 00:22:01,520 Speaker 1: for a banker to just come out and reveal your information. 362 00:22:01,720 --> 00:22:05,119 Speaker 1: Privacy still is a big deal. If we were Swiss 363 00:22:05,160 --> 00:22:10,760 Speaker 1: bankers and say Max came out and said Jonathan Strickland 364 00:22:11,080 --> 00:22:15,000 Speaker 1: has secreted to weigh money and he's avoiding paid tax 365 00:22:15,119 --> 00:22:17,959 Speaker 1: or whatever. If if Max came out and said that 366 00:22:18,000 --> 00:22:20,560 Speaker 1: our bank would be in trouble and Max himself would 367 00:22:20,640 --> 00:22:24,359 Speaker 1: risk prison time. So they do take it seriously. But 368 00:22:24,920 --> 00:22:28,080 Speaker 1: it has changed and I would argue for the better. 369 00:22:28,720 --> 00:22:32,240 Speaker 1: And one thing we didn't answer. So we've busted some 370 00:22:32,280 --> 00:22:35,560 Speaker 1: myths about Switzerland. Yes there's a military, there is conscription. 371 00:22:36,000 --> 00:22:38,520 Speaker 1: Yes there's more to the banks than James Bond would 372 00:22:38,520 --> 00:22:41,400 Speaker 1: have you believe. But even if they have a military, note, 373 00:22:41,480 --> 00:22:44,760 Speaker 1: we haven't answered the question yet. How did some of 374 00:22:44,840 --> 00:22:46,560 Speaker 1: these folks end up in the Vatican. 375 00:22:47,200 --> 00:22:51,240 Speaker 3: Yeah, so, you know, Switzerland definitely not what you would 376 00:22:51,240 --> 00:22:57,000 Speaker 3: consider an imperialistic power. They certainly have gotten beefed up 377 00:22:57,400 --> 00:23:01,639 Speaker 3: with some people over the years. However, especially around the 378 00:23:01,640 --> 00:23:05,800 Speaker 3: sixteenth century CE, a lot of their military force was 379 00:23:05,920 --> 00:23:09,879 Speaker 3: exerted through these those I guess those groups you were 380 00:23:09,880 --> 00:23:14,400 Speaker 3: talking about, those sort of like disparate little almost militias, 381 00:23:14,400 --> 00:23:18,080 Speaker 3: mercenary groups, which is also why that mercenary language is 382 00:23:18,200 --> 00:23:23,240 Speaker 3: used in their neutrality code. Mm hmm. Yeah. Yeah. 383 00:23:23,280 --> 00:23:30,919 Speaker 1: And according to Britannica and the Swiss Guards are a 384 00:23:31,040 --> 00:23:34,600 Speaker 1: group of Swiss soldiers who are entirely responsible for the 385 00:23:34,640 --> 00:23:37,720 Speaker 1: safety of the Pope. They're sometimes called the world's smallest 386 00:23:37,840 --> 00:23:41,280 Speaker 1: army because calling them the world's littlest army would have 387 00:23:41,280 --> 00:23:43,560 Speaker 1: been too cute and would have made it sound like 388 00:23:43,560 --> 00:23:45,880 Speaker 1: the Swiss Guards were a bunch of children, which. 389 00:23:45,640 --> 00:23:46,000 Speaker 3: They are not. 390 00:23:46,400 --> 00:23:51,960 Speaker 1: Now they are independent of the overall Swiss armed forces. 391 00:23:52,359 --> 00:23:56,080 Speaker 1: They are employed by the Roman Catholic Church directly under 392 00:23:56,119 --> 00:23:59,679 Speaker 1: the Pope's leadership, and they swear fealty to the Pope. 393 00:23:59,800 --> 00:24:02,000 Speaker 1: Is a big to do in a big ceremony of 394 00:24:02,040 --> 00:24:04,080 Speaker 1: Belvidere or court. 395 00:24:04,119 --> 00:24:05,320 Speaker 3: The competition just. 396 00:24:05,280 --> 00:24:07,560 Speaker 1: Like any elite force, because believe it or not, these 397 00:24:07,600 --> 00:24:11,760 Speaker 1: guys are like special forces kind of. It's very there's 398 00:24:11,760 --> 00:24:15,720 Speaker 1: a very intense competition. To be included in the Guards. 399 00:24:16,040 --> 00:24:19,080 Speaker 1: You have to be Roman Catholic surprise. You have to 400 00:24:19,160 --> 00:24:22,320 Speaker 1: be single, you have to be a male with Swiss citizenship. 401 00:24:22,760 --> 00:24:26,119 Speaker 1: You can be anywhere between nineteen to thirty years old. 402 00:24:26,200 --> 00:24:28,320 Speaker 1: You have to be at least five foot eight, and 403 00:24:28,400 --> 00:24:32,560 Speaker 1: you have to have a high school degree or professional diploma, 404 00:24:33,000 --> 00:24:36,119 Speaker 1: and then you have to complete basic training with the 405 00:24:36,160 --> 00:24:40,240 Speaker 1: Swiss military. So I guess they're not like necessarily Navy 406 00:24:40,280 --> 00:24:45,159 Speaker 1: seals or army rangers, but they do have very specific criteria. 407 00:24:45,280 --> 00:24:47,760 Speaker 1: And of course you can imagine if you grow up 408 00:24:47,800 --> 00:24:51,359 Speaker 1: and you're a Catholic kid getting the job protecting the pope. 409 00:24:52,119 --> 00:24:55,040 Speaker 1: Is that you know, that's like a spiritual calling. 410 00:24:55,359 --> 00:24:58,520 Speaker 3: Absolutely, no, I get it. I'm sorry, man, I gotta 411 00:24:58,520 --> 00:25:01,200 Speaker 3: ask the question everyone's asking in their minds. At least, 412 00:25:01,760 --> 00:25:04,439 Speaker 3: at what point do they get issued the knives? You know, 413 00:25:04,560 --> 00:25:08,840 Speaker 3: the Swiss Army ones. I know, I mean, it's gotta 414 00:25:08,880 --> 00:25:10,600 Speaker 3: you know, there has to be some connection. They call 415 00:25:10,640 --> 00:25:12,280 Speaker 3: it a Swiss Army knife, and I know we're not 416 00:25:12,280 --> 00:25:14,959 Speaker 3: talking about the Swiss Army anymore, but I had to 417 00:25:15,000 --> 00:25:18,440 Speaker 3: just take a tiny little derailment and ask about the knives. 418 00:25:18,920 --> 00:25:22,920 Speaker 1: Yeah, I associated with my times in boy Scouts. By 419 00:25:22,920 --> 00:25:27,399 Speaker 1: the time I was an Eagle Scout, I had I 420 00:25:27,440 --> 00:25:32,679 Speaker 1: had too many Swiss Army knives. It was invented by 421 00:25:32,760 --> 00:25:36,560 Speaker 1: an American soldier or the The idea of the Swiss 422 00:25:36,640 --> 00:25:39,280 Speaker 1: army knife was coined by American soldiers in World War 423 00:25:39,359 --> 00:25:44,440 Speaker 1: Two because they couldn't say the word of a messer 424 00:25:44,840 --> 00:25:47,560 Speaker 1: meaning armors officers knife. 425 00:25:47,880 --> 00:25:53,800 Speaker 3: You know, it's funny too. The standard issue military Victory 426 00:25:54,400 --> 00:25:59,399 Speaker 3: Victor and Knox soldiers standard issue zero eight Swiss Army knife. 427 00:25:59,600 --> 00:26:02,560 Speaker 3: Not the little red guy with all the attachments. Only 428 00:26:02,640 --> 00:26:07,760 Speaker 3: has the regular knife, the bottle opener, the serrated saw, 429 00:26:08,640 --> 00:26:11,960 Speaker 3: the tiny knife, and the Phillips said screwdriver. It's a 430 00:26:11,960 --> 00:26:15,280 Speaker 3: little more abbreviated, but Victoria Knox does make all the 431 00:26:15,520 --> 00:26:18,560 Speaker 3: one hundred percent. But this one is actually issuing knife. Yeah, 432 00:26:18,600 --> 00:26:21,920 Speaker 3: it is actually issued standard issue knife and it's got 433 00:26:21,920 --> 00:26:24,320 Speaker 3: a bigger grip. It's a little more ergonomic. You know, 434 00:26:24,359 --> 00:26:27,880 Speaker 3: those little kind of weird round ones, elliptical ones probably 435 00:26:27,880 --> 00:26:31,080 Speaker 3: wouldn't be so good in the you know and probably 436 00:26:31,080 --> 00:26:36,359 Speaker 3: gottleness type situation. But back super useful. Car. 437 00:26:36,560 --> 00:26:39,160 Speaker 1: I have them in my go bags and stuff. They're 438 00:26:39,240 --> 00:26:39,760 Speaker 1: just good to have. 439 00:26:39,960 --> 00:26:42,080 Speaker 3: They're good to have. Yeah, I actually I got I 440 00:26:42,119 --> 00:26:44,480 Speaker 3: got myself a multi tool recently. Ben. It's not a 441 00:26:44,480 --> 00:26:47,320 Speaker 3: Swiss Army knife, but it's a leather Yeah, it'd be 442 00:26:47,359 --> 00:26:48,879 Speaker 3: a bit of a leatherman. Yeah, I'm a bit of 443 00:26:48,880 --> 00:26:51,040 Speaker 3: a I've become a bit of a leatherman. But back 444 00:26:51,080 --> 00:26:54,320 Speaker 3: to the Swiss Guard in the Vatican. Historically, these new 445 00:26:54,359 --> 00:27:01,160 Speaker 3: recruits had to prove that they didn't have any physical deformities. 446 00:27:01,920 --> 00:27:05,520 Speaker 3: This is good, don't like ugly. Well, well, that's that's right. 447 00:27:05,640 --> 00:27:10,040 Speaker 3: This is more than not having you know, bone spurs 448 00:27:10,160 --> 00:27:13,040 Speaker 3: or you know, fallen arches or something or something that 449 00:27:13,040 --> 00:27:17,400 Speaker 3: would impair your ability to fight. Of course, yeah, that's true, 450 00:27:17,400 --> 00:27:19,920 Speaker 3: but it does there does seem to be an implication 451 00:27:20,119 --> 00:27:24,080 Speaker 3: of we want our boys to be hotties, to be 452 00:27:24,160 --> 00:27:27,720 Speaker 3: an Abercrombie and fished feel it does feel that way. 453 00:27:27,880 --> 00:27:33,879 Speaker 1: I don't know, and honestly that wasn't uncommon in a 454 00:27:34,000 --> 00:27:40,159 Speaker 1: lot of high level like personal guard militaries in European history. 455 00:27:39,320 --> 00:27:42,800 Speaker 3: No, yeah, it's we have to get. 456 00:27:42,680 --> 00:27:46,240 Speaker 1: Oh man, there were some aristocrats that were so ridiculous 457 00:27:46,240 --> 00:27:50,840 Speaker 1: about this even goes into the history of the necktie and. 458 00:27:50,960 --> 00:27:53,159 Speaker 3: How people had to be decorated anyway you had a 459 00:27:53,200 --> 00:27:56,800 Speaker 3: weird accessory. Can we just take a minute to point out. 460 00:27:56,680 --> 00:27:59,760 Speaker 1: I have done multiple things about how I've talked on 461 00:27:59,800 --> 00:28:00,840 Speaker 1: this show and stuff. 462 00:28:00,840 --> 00:28:02,879 Speaker 3: They want you to know the necktie is so weird. 463 00:28:03,280 --> 00:28:07,440 Speaker 3: Why to what end? It does nothing? It's the most 464 00:28:07,480 --> 00:28:11,360 Speaker 3: absolutely useless accessory one could poss I guess you could 465 00:28:11,480 --> 00:28:15,639 Speaker 3: use it as roping in an emergency situation. Originally, the 466 00:28:15,680 --> 00:28:18,639 Speaker 3: idea was similar to a handkerchief to wipe one's face. 467 00:28:18,760 --> 00:28:19,240 Speaker 3: Check out. 468 00:28:19,960 --> 00:28:22,440 Speaker 1: I did a brain stuff video on there that should 469 00:28:22,480 --> 00:28:25,480 Speaker 1: be still on YouTube, which is why do we have neckties? 470 00:28:25,760 --> 00:28:29,479 Speaker 1: That answers the questions so far as current research allows 471 00:28:29,560 --> 00:28:29,919 Speaker 1: us to know. 472 00:28:31,240 --> 00:28:35,600 Speaker 3: In addition to the proving that no physical deformities exist, 473 00:28:36,480 --> 00:28:40,080 Speaker 3: Commanding officers or officers in the higher ranks typically would 474 00:28:40,080 --> 00:28:42,720 Speaker 3: come from noble blood. 475 00:28:43,120 --> 00:28:48,600 Speaker 1: Right, because nepotism was the primary door in. And imagine 476 00:28:48,600 --> 00:28:51,600 Speaker 1: if you become Swiss guard, right, and you're from a 477 00:28:51,640 --> 00:28:55,360 Speaker 1: noble family. This is a huge opportunity for your family 478 00:28:55,680 --> 00:28:58,280 Speaker 1: because now you kind of have eyes behind the curtain 479 00:28:58,680 --> 00:29:01,000 Speaker 1: and you can learn all all kinds of things in 480 00:29:01,040 --> 00:29:04,960 Speaker 1: the great Game of Thrones. And here is the answer 481 00:29:05,120 --> 00:29:07,920 Speaker 1: for how these guys ended up at the Vatican. We 482 00:29:07,920 --> 00:29:13,400 Speaker 1: do have the answer. It's the fifteen hundreds Swiss mercenaries 483 00:29:13,680 --> 00:29:17,720 Speaker 1: are getting this reputation as the best soldiers in the world. 484 00:29:17,920 --> 00:29:20,560 Speaker 1: Because remember this is before they said we're not going 485 00:29:20,600 --> 00:29:25,280 Speaker 1: to send mercenary troops out Willie Hilly, So they were 486 00:29:25,280 --> 00:29:30,560 Speaker 1: called the Helvetians. And Roman scholar Tacitus, from whom we 487 00:29:30,680 --> 00:29:36,720 Speaker 1: get the phrase tactics famously Talkie wouldn't shut up. Yeah, 488 00:29:36,880 --> 00:29:40,800 Speaker 1: Taciturn there's a going he said. The Helvedians are a 489 00:29:40,880 --> 00:29:44,120 Speaker 1: people of warriors, famous for the valor of their soldiers, 490 00:29:44,520 --> 00:29:48,960 Speaker 1: and they served all these rulers through all these different 491 00:29:48,960 --> 00:29:53,120 Speaker 1: European countries, France, Spain, you name it. In the fourteenth 492 00:29:53,160 --> 00:29:58,480 Speaker 1: fifteenth century they started some of these mercenaries started serving 493 00:29:58,840 --> 00:30:01,880 Speaker 1: the papal states. This was not unusual at the time. 494 00:30:02,200 --> 00:30:05,120 Speaker 3: So now, while modern Swiss guard might only kind of 495 00:30:05,160 --> 00:30:08,880 Speaker 3: have what would be considered basic training, they certainly at 496 00:30:08,880 --> 00:30:12,800 Speaker 3: this point had a reputation for being high quality you 497 00:30:12,840 --> 00:30:14,960 Speaker 3: know operatives. 498 00:30:14,280 --> 00:30:19,120 Speaker 1: Right, Yeah, for sure, especially you know, working as a 499 00:30:19,160 --> 00:30:23,600 Speaker 1: mercenary then and now can have a pretty high attrition rate. 500 00:30:24,000 --> 00:30:27,640 Speaker 1: So if you are looking to hire some muscle and 501 00:30:27,680 --> 00:30:31,360 Speaker 1: you see mercenaries that have a lot of experience, you're 502 00:30:31,400 --> 00:30:35,560 Speaker 1: going to realize that they have survived for reason. So 503 00:30:35,680 --> 00:30:39,040 Speaker 1: these guys were considered for time, I would say, one 504 00:30:39,120 --> 00:30:44,000 Speaker 1: of the gold standards in higher guns. It wasn't until 505 00:30:44,480 --> 00:30:49,640 Speaker 1: fifteen oh five when a bishop, a Swiss bishop, acting 506 00:30:49,680 --> 00:30:54,160 Speaker 1: on behalf of Pope Julius the second, said hey, what 507 00:30:54,280 --> 00:30:57,960 Speaker 1: about this, Julie, Why don't we just have a Swiss 508 00:30:58,000 --> 00:31:02,120 Speaker 1: contingent that's permanent and operates you know, not through a 509 00:31:02,120 --> 00:31:06,400 Speaker 1: weird system of paying mercenaries, but under your direct control. 510 00:31:06,680 --> 00:31:11,000 Speaker 1: And Pope Julius the second looked around and said, right, hu, 511 00:31:11,960 --> 00:31:14,440 Speaker 1: because that's how he talked exactly. 512 00:31:14,840 --> 00:31:18,800 Speaker 3: Yeah he did. He's modern day yes, surfirst length. So 513 00:31:19,040 --> 00:31:22,920 Speaker 3: on January twenty second of fifteen oh six, the first 514 00:31:23,040 --> 00:31:26,560 Speaker 3: contingent of one hundred and fifty Swiss Guardsman under the 515 00:31:26,720 --> 00:31:31,920 Speaker 3: leadership of Captain Casper von Silentin, showed up in the 516 00:31:32,000 --> 00:31:38,080 Speaker 3: Vatican to do their PayPal duty. Yes, that sounds a 517 00:31:38,120 --> 00:31:41,040 Speaker 3: papal duty. What sounds to euphemistic. It does a little bit. 518 00:31:41,080 --> 00:31:45,000 Speaker 3: But we're we're a techy meat shower. We'll get to 519 00:31:45,040 --> 00:31:47,520 Speaker 3: that one later, sure will. I'm glad you brought that out. 520 00:31:47,560 --> 00:31:51,680 Speaker 3: We were just talking about that, all right, Max, We'll 521 00:31:51,720 --> 00:31:52,680 Speaker 3: be with us something that would do. 522 00:31:53,080 --> 00:31:57,720 Speaker 1: So they Everything was going well, jolly good win win 523 00:31:57,880 --> 00:32:03,400 Speaker 1: situation for the first cup of decades, but within those 524 00:32:04,080 --> 00:32:08,280 Speaker 1: like by fifteen twenty seven, their heroism and their actual 525 00:32:08,400 --> 00:32:18,840 Speaker 1: valor was testing. It's one of the darkest most heroic 526 00:32:18,920 --> 00:32:22,640 Speaker 1: events in Swiss Guard history in fifteen twenty seven, the 527 00:32:22,720 --> 00:32:27,040 Speaker 1: Sack of Rome. It's the sixth of May and according 528 00:32:27,040 --> 00:32:31,200 Speaker 1: to folks like Thomas Weibel, the professor of media engineering 529 00:32:32,000 --> 00:32:37,400 Speaker 1: in Burn. The unrestrained looting and pillaging by Lutheran mercenaries 530 00:32:37,440 --> 00:32:40,480 Speaker 1: of Charles the Fifth, the elected but still uncrowned Holy 531 00:32:40,560 --> 00:32:44,560 Speaker 1: Roman Emperor, was a long time in the making. Long 532 00:32:44,600 --> 00:32:49,000 Speaker 1: story short. A bunch of wars, Charles five is beefed 533 00:32:49,000 --> 00:32:53,800 Speaker 1: with a guide named Francois the First. Charles wins, Clement 534 00:32:54,040 --> 00:32:57,800 Speaker 1: the Pope said no, no, dude, not right on. You 535 00:32:57,840 --> 00:33:01,240 Speaker 1: didn't really win and didn't support Charles. So at the 536 00:33:01,280 --> 00:33:04,000 Speaker 1: same time, there's this other guy, Henrietta of England, you 537 00:33:04,040 --> 00:33:08,000 Speaker 1: know who we're talking about, and he went cold on 538 00:33:08,080 --> 00:33:11,360 Speaker 1: Charles the fifth. And now Charles the Fifth has this huge, 539 00:33:11,440 --> 00:33:14,640 Speaker 1: huge army and he owes every single person in that 540 00:33:14,800 --> 00:33:17,320 Speaker 1: army money, so he has no way to pay for 541 00:33:17,360 --> 00:33:22,720 Speaker 1: his troops. And the army said, look, we have to 542 00:33:23,680 --> 00:33:27,040 Speaker 1: do something right because now the army is risking starvation, 543 00:33:27,440 --> 00:33:30,600 Speaker 1: let alone missing their wages. So they look round to 544 00:33:30,640 --> 00:33:32,720 Speaker 1: try to find a place that has money. 545 00:33:32,720 --> 00:33:38,040 Speaker 3: That's right, and somebody says, you know who's got money, 546 00:33:38,280 --> 00:33:42,360 Speaker 3: the Italians in Florence. Let's go hit up Florence. They've 547 00:33:42,400 --> 00:33:45,120 Speaker 3: got money, right, Surely they'd be willing to part with them. 548 00:33:45,160 --> 00:33:50,040 Speaker 3: So they go to Florence. It was not an easy journey. 549 00:33:50,400 --> 00:33:55,920 Speaker 3: And while they were besieging Florence is apparently a lovely city. 550 00:33:55,960 --> 00:33:57,440 Speaker 3: I've never been, but I would like to go. I 551 00:33:57,480 --> 00:33:59,560 Speaker 3: have my editors in Florence right now. 552 00:34:01,440 --> 00:34:05,040 Speaker 2: They two takes place like a lot of and I 553 00:34:05,040 --> 00:34:07,880 Speaker 2: mean they've used historical maps and so, like I always have. 554 00:34:08,200 --> 00:34:09,759 Speaker 2: That's the most use. 555 00:34:10,040 --> 00:34:13,800 Speaker 3: He's basically been there. Yeah, it's the same. It's like Washington, 556 00:34:13,880 --> 00:34:16,920 Speaker 3: DC and the fallout too or Fallout three, whichever one 557 00:34:16,960 --> 00:34:21,000 Speaker 3: that one is. So while they're besieging Florence, they noticed 558 00:34:21,000 --> 00:34:25,360 Speaker 3: that no one is really looking after Rome, which is 559 00:34:25,360 --> 00:34:27,759 Speaker 3: a little odd. So a lot of soldiers rebel and 560 00:34:27,800 --> 00:34:30,359 Speaker 3: they decide to run off and do their own thing 561 00:34:30,560 --> 00:34:34,799 Speaker 3: and take down Rome, sack it as it were. So 562 00:34:34,920 --> 00:34:40,120 Speaker 3: in the view of what looked to be a gnarly catastrophe, 563 00:34:40,200 --> 00:34:45,040 Speaker 3: the Pope decided to try to bribe the imperial commander, 564 00:34:45,640 --> 00:34:48,719 Speaker 3: Charles the third, the Duke of Bourbon, with a big 565 00:34:48,760 --> 00:34:53,400 Speaker 3: old chunk of change. But Bourbon could not be bought 566 00:34:53,800 --> 00:34:56,880 Speaker 3: right he wanted. He just wanted the spoils. 567 00:34:56,719 --> 00:35:00,680 Speaker 1: Well, and also at this point, adding to the cannery, 568 00:35:01,640 --> 00:35:06,600 Speaker 1: the problem with mercenaries is that they're very effective. But 569 00:35:06,680 --> 00:35:09,680 Speaker 1: even now, mercenaries are a gun that can sometimes shoot you, 570 00:35:10,640 --> 00:35:14,640 Speaker 1: right they go to the high well, yeah, but then 571 00:35:14,680 --> 00:35:17,800 Speaker 1: also they might just quit, they might. 572 00:35:17,719 --> 00:35:18,400 Speaker 3: Cower it out. 573 00:35:18,920 --> 00:35:22,040 Speaker 1: They're not as reliable as a trained army, or they're 574 00:35:22,040 --> 00:35:24,400 Speaker 1: not as reliable as a state level army. But anyway, 575 00:35:24,600 --> 00:35:28,959 Speaker 1: the mercenaries at this point are totally mutenous. They don't care, 576 00:35:29,320 --> 00:35:34,600 Speaker 1: and so they're just out now to become reavers, to ravage, 577 00:35:34,640 --> 00:35:38,440 Speaker 1: to pillage for personal gains. So they attack Rome on 578 00:35:38,480 --> 00:35:41,839 Speaker 1: the morning in May sixth and there are hardly any 579 00:35:41,920 --> 00:35:45,880 Speaker 1: other soldiers in a defensive position, so they run over 580 00:35:45,920 --> 00:35:49,160 Speaker 1: it like a plague locust or like a tsunami wave. 581 00:35:49,800 --> 00:35:52,719 Speaker 1: And there were forty two Swiss guards who bring the 582 00:35:52,719 --> 00:35:57,640 Speaker 1: pope to safety. Is incredibly cinematic, using an underground tunnel, 583 00:35:57,960 --> 00:36:02,160 Speaker 1: while the remaining one hundred forty seven men take up 584 00:36:02,719 --> 00:36:07,120 Speaker 1: essentially suicide positions on Saint Peter's Square to protect the 585 00:36:07,239 --> 00:36:10,520 Speaker 1: Vatican and the Basilica. They are one hundred and forty 586 00:36:10,560 --> 00:36:14,600 Speaker 1: seven men against twenty thousand attackers. This is like their 587 00:36:14,719 --> 00:36:18,839 Speaker 1: Alamo moment. They're overwhelmed. Every single one of those one 588 00:36:18,960 --> 00:36:22,399 Speaker 1: hundred and forty seven people die, and the next day 589 00:36:22,480 --> 00:36:25,640 Speaker 1: the city falls into the hands of not a rival power, 590 00:36:26,000 --> 00:36:30,120 Speaker 1: not a rival theocracy, nor a rival king, but a 591 00:36:30,200 --> 00:36:33,400 Speaker 1: group of mercenaries land pirates basically. 592 00:36:33,719 --> 00:36:35,080 Speaker 3: And by the way, I just have to say the 593 00:36:35,160 --> 00:36:38,440 Speaker 3: name of this guy that we're referring to here, Thomas Viiebel. 594 00:36:38,640 --> 00:36:42,200 Speaker 3: He has an incredible I guess title. He is the 595 00:36:42,239 --> 00:36:46,360 Speaker 3: professor of media engineering at the fach fash hook Shula 596 00:36:47,200 --> 00:36:53,200 Speaker 3: Graubunden and the hoch Shula de Kunsta in Baden. Sorry, 597 00:36:53,239 --> 00:36:54,960 Speaker 3: the mony python I mean has had to say that. 598 00:36:55,320 --> 00:37:01,120 Speaker 1: And according to viible here, this event, this month long 599 00:37:01,640 --> 00:37:04,920 Speaker 1: disaster that we call the sack of Rome today was 600 00:37:05,080 --> 00:37:08,839 Speaker 1: reframed as an act of religious war rather than an 601 00:37:08,880 --> 00:37:12,440 Speaker 1: act of desperate mercenaries. Yeah, and it went down in 602 00:37:12,600 --> 00:37:15,640 Speaker 1: history as an unprecedented war crime. We're talking in tens 603 00:37:15,640 --> 00:37:19,920 Speaker 1: of thousands of victims. Easily ninety percent of Rome's art 604 00:37:19,960 --> 00:37:24,960 Speaker 1: treasures are stolen or vandalized or completely destroyed. The Pope 605 00:37:25,040 --> 00:37:28,840 Speaker 1: is held prisoner in Castel sant Angelo for six months. 606 00:37:29,400 --> 00:37:32,600 Speaker 1: He has released only in exchange for the surrender of 607 00:37:32,760 --> 00:37:38,640 Speaker 1: extensive territories. The city of Medina Parma, a couple other cities, 608 00:37:39,160 --> 00:37:43,920 Speaker 1: four hundred thousand ducats. It's crazy. All the Swiss Guards 609 00:37:43,960 --> 00:37:47,600 Speaker 1: who managed to get the Pope to safety in that castle, 610 00:37:47,960 --> 00:37:51,239 Speaker 1: they were killed. The Swiss Guards didn't really become a 611 00:37:51,280 --> 00:37:56,520 Speaker 1: thing again until Clement's successor, Paul Third, reformed them in 612 00:37:56,640 --> 00:37:59,759 Speaker 1: fifteen forty eight. So the Sack of Rome is a 613 00:38:00,080 --> 00:38:04,160 Speaker 1: real horror story. That is a dark time in the 614 00:38:04,200 --> 00:38:09,120 Speaker 1: history of the Swiss Guard. But worry not, they did 615 00:38:09,120 --> 00:38:11,640 Speaker 1: make it. They are still around in the modern day. 616 00:38:12,320 --> 00:38:16,799 Speaker 1: You know, after that nearly complete annihilation, and things have 617 00:38:16,840 --> 00:38:20,480 Speaker 1: been a lot more you know, positive since then. 618 00:38:20,719 --> 00:38:23,160 Speaker 3: It doesn't mean it's been in four now, yeah, it does, 619 00:38:23,280 --> 00:38:25,440 Speaker 3: just right. It doesn't mean it's been entirely without conflict. 620 00:38:26,080 --> 00:38:30,319 Speaker 3: There was a early, nearly similar event that happened during 621 00:38:30,320 --> 00:38:34,440 Speaker 3: World War Two. Britannica writes that the Swiss Guards prepared 622 00:38:34,480 --> 00:38:37,680 Speaker 3: for similar self sacrificing during World War Two when the 623 00:38:37,760 --> 00:38:41,720 Speaker 3: vastly outnumbered guardsmen took up defensive positions as German forces 624 00:38:41,800 --> 00:38:46,799 Speaker 3: rolled into Rome. However, Hitler chose to spare the Vaticans. 625 00:38:46,800 --> 00:38:48,560 Speaker 3: So they were ready to do it. They were gonna 626 00:38:48,840 --> 00:38:51,080 Speaker 3: throw their lives on the line for ill Papa, but 627 00:38:51,160 --> 00:38:52,160 Speaker 3: they did not have to do. 628 00:38:52,200 --> 00:38:56,440 Speaker 1: So it's another four now situation, right because Adolf Hitler, 629 00:38:56,560 --> 00:39:00,440 Speaker 1: going back to the original points about expansionist powers, Adolf 630 00:39:00,520 --> 00:39:04,040 Speaker 1: Hitler's Germany was very much an expanse of power, expansions 631 00:39:04,040 --> 00:39:06,239 Speaker 1: of power. So the Vatican would have been in the 632 00:39:06,280 --> 00:39:10,480 Speaker 1: menu at some point, and probably right then at that moment. 633 00:39:10,520 --> 00:39:14,000 Speaker 1: The only reason he didn't attack the Vatican is because 634 00:39:14,520 --> 00:39:17,080 Speaker 1: Italy was naxis power with Mussolini. 635 00:39:17,239 --> 00:39:19,440 Speaker 3: Oh that's a really good point, Ben, because I mean, 636 00:39:19,480 --> 00:39:23,000 Speaker 3: taking down the Vatican is a symbolic act in a 637 00:39:23,000 --> 00:39:24,880 Speaker 3: lot of ways too, right. I mean it's sort of like, 638 00:39:25,000 --> 00:39:28,800 Speaker 3: you know, we are flexing on your religion, on your culture, 639 00:39:28,960 --> 00:39:31,680 Speaker 3: and you know we are owning you entirely. But since 640 00:39:31,760 --> 00:39:36,120 Speaker 3: Mussolini was an ally of Hitler, it probably made sense 641 00:39:36,120 --> 00:39:38,200 Speaker 3: that he let it give him a past. 642 00:39:38,320 --> 00:39:42,000 Speaker 1: They were also, you know, even Musolini aside, there are 643 00:39:42,040 --> 00:39:45,520 Speaker 1: a lot of Catholics in the world in positions of power, right, 644 00:39:45,600 --> 00:39:47,399 Speaker 1: So this is a great way to make your own 645 00:39:47,400 --> 00:39:50,760 Speaker 1: empire go extinct. In the modern day, the Swiss Guard 646 00:39:50,800 --> 00:39:55,799 Speaker 1: today has a hybrid role because they're seen often as 647 00:39:55,880 --> 00:39:59,800 Speaker 1: serving in a ceremonial fashion. They definitely dressed the part. 648 00:40:00,600 --> 00:40:03,960 Speaker 1: The uniforms were probably not designed by Michelangelo, but they've 649 00:40:03,960 --> 00:40:07,040 Speaker 1: still got the hal birds and the swords and doublets 650 00:40:07,040 --> 00:40:11,960 Speaker 1: and berets dooms. Yeah, but they still served their original purpose. 651 00:40:12,040 --> 00:40:15,880 Speaker 1: In nineteen eighty one, they helped Oh there's a crazy story. 652 00:40:15,880 --> 00:40:20,120 Speaker 1: They helped prevent an assassination attempt against John Paul the 653 00:40:20,239 --> 00:40:24,240 Speaker 1: Second in Saint Peter's Square and one of the guys 654 00:40:24,239 --> 00:40:27,880 Speaker 1: who rushed to the Pope's aid. He was Swiss Guard, 655 00:40:27,880 --> 00:40:30,480 Speaker 1: but he wasn't dressed the part. He was playing clothes 656 00:40:30,680 --> 00:40:33,480 Speaker 1: so he could blend in with the crowd. He became 657 00:40:33,520 --> 00:40:35,759 Speaker 1: a hero this playing clothes guardsman. 658 00:40:36,040 --> 00:40:36,520 Speaker 3: He became. 659 00:40:36,960 --> 00:40:40,800 Speaker 1: He got named Commandant of the Swiss Guards, the leader 660 00:40:40,920 --> 00:40:44,720 Speaker 1: the Swiss Guards, in nineteen ninety eight, and he served 661 00:40:44,719 --> 00:40:48,200 Speaker 1: in that role until he was murdered by the second 662 00:40:48,360 --> 00:40:52,440 Speaker 1: highest ranking officer. Because the competition never stops. 663 00:40:52,520 --> 00:40:55,359 Speaker 3: Oh he was just like jealous of what he Oh 664 00:40:55,400 --> 00:40:58,959 Speaker 3: my god, that's surely there's more to that story. But yeah, 665 00:40:59,000 --> 00:41:01,560 Speaker 3: I think for now, well, I think we'll jump to 666 00:41:01,600 --> 00:41:05,080 Speaker 3: that particular conclusion. And we got some modern stats from 667 00:41:05,440 --> 00:41:08,799 Speaker 3: the website and wanted in Rome. Currently, the Swiss Guard 668 00:41:08,840 --> 00:41:13,000 Speaker 3: is led by Commander Christophe Graff. They are one hundred 669 00:41:13,000 --> 00:41:16,920 Speaker 3: and thirty five members strong, members soldiers, what have you. 670 00:41:17,760 --> 00:41:21,719 Speaker 3: And they wear the full what is it in full 671 00:41:21,760 --> 00:41:24,960 Speaker 3: compliment that means in the full uniform, right, the regalia 672 00:41:25,120 --> 00:41:25,759 Speaker 3: of the. 673 00:41:25,920 --> 00:41:29,279 Speaker 1: Oh, the full compliment that means the full Yeah. 674 00:41:29,440 --> 00:41:32,279 Speaker 3: Yes, if all the positions are filled, they got one 675 00:41:32,360 --> 00:41:35,200 Speaker 3: hundred and thirty five I see, got it, including thirty 676 00:41:35,239 --> 00:41:37,759 Speaker 3: four new recruits that are sworn in or going to 677 00:41:37,760 --> 00:41:40,600 Speaker 3: be sworn in. No, we're just torn in on May 678 00:41:40,760 --> 00:41:44,719 Speaker 3: sixth of twenty twenty four. Congratulations you guys. Was a job, yes, 679 00:41:44,960 --> 00:41:48,040 Speaker 3: was hod And then you know you mentioned the plane 680 00:41:48,120 --> 00:41:53,319 Speaker 3: clothes guy. Surely there's a bunch of those, because I mean, 681 00:41:53,360 --> 00:41:56,640 Speaker 3: they give themselves away pretty hardcore. And it does seem 682 00:41:56,680 --> 00:41:58,480 Speaker 3: like the ones that are wearing the you know, the 683 00:41:58,719 --> 00:42:02,799 Speaker 3: the plumes and the rough and the halbirds aren't exactly 684 00:42:02,880 --> 00:42:05,880 Speaker 3: batt already. I guess they could. Can they deflect a 685 00:42:05,920 --> 00:42:08,960 Speaker 3: bullet with those swords? Like? Do they have firearms? Like? 686 00:42:09,080 --> 00:42:11,480 Speaker 3: Or are we just looking to the plane closed ones 687 00:42:11,840 --> 00:42:13,959 Speaker 3: to actually do the dirty work. 688 00:42:14,280 --> 00:42:16,399 Speaker 2: So from my research, what it was is that there's 689 00:42:16,440 --> 00:42:18,400 Speaker 2: like a number of them who are up in the 690 00:42:18,600 --> 00:42:20,640 Speaker 2: get up but many of them, like all of them, 691 00:42:20,640 --> 00:42:24,040 Speaker 2: are trained to actually fight modern stuff. They have modern weapons. 692 00:42:24,200 --> 00:42:25,920 Speaker 3: Yeah, like the petry. 693 00:42:26,200 --> 00:42:28,400 Speaker 2: They're kind of part of the terrorism. 694 00:42:29,600 --> 00:42:33,879 Speaker 1: Yeah much like yeah, exactly, Well they're also I would say, yeah, 695 00:42:33,920 --> 00:42:37,359 Speaker 1: it's important to know that these guys are competent military operators. 696 00:42:37,920 --> 00:42:40,680 Speaker 1: You know, some of them rotate in and out. I'm 697 00:42:40,680 --> 00:42:44,960 Speaker 1: sure of the more pomp aspects of the gig, right, 698 00:42:45,280 --> 00:42:48,360 Speaker 1: it's not always your turn to wear the costume. 699 00:42:48,200 --> 00:42:52,839 Speaker 3: But what have a circumstance been? What of the circumstance? 700 00:42:53,360 --> 00:42:56,719 Speaker 1: And they also, like I think it blew my mind too, 701 00:42:56,920 --> 00:42:59,640 Speaker 1: knowing that they're trained to use rifles, because when you 702 00:42:59,640 --> 00:43:02,040 Speaker 1: look at you just think maybe what you were kind 703 00:43:02,040 --> 00:43:05,120 Speaker 1: of originally thinking as well, Like these guys are hopefully 704 00:43:05,520 --> 00:43:08,960 Speaker 1: Jedi level with halbirds, you know what I mean, like 705 00:43:09,239 --> 00:43:10,719 Speaker 1: knocking bullets out of the air. 706 00:43:11,080 --> 00:43:13,600 Speaker 3: It's a big blame. It's a big old it's a 707 00:43:13,600 --> 00:43:16,239 Speaker 3: big old sword. But yeah, but you never bring a 708 00:43:16,280 --> 00:43:19,799 Speaker 3: halbird to a rifle fight. So thankfully they also have. 709 00:43:19,920 --> 00:43:22,520 Speaker 1: Maybe I think it's a cane sword thing. Maybe the 710 00:43:22,680 --> 00:43:24,680 Speaker 1: halbirds are really long rifles. 711 00:43:24,880 --> 00:43:28,719 Speaker 3: Maybe that'd be kind of cool. A gun knife. I 712 00:43:28,760 --> 00:43:32,800 Speaker 3: guess that's what a bandet is, but we accidentally reinvented 713 00:43:32,840 --> 00:43:35,120 Speaker 3: it and maybe yeah, yeah, we're gonna take full credit 714 00:43:35,120 --> 00:43:36,960 Speaker 3: for it. I think I maybe mentioned on this or 715 00:43:37,080 --> 00:43:39,000 Speaker 3: maybe stuff that I once, you know, I once, I don't. 716 00:43:39,080 --> 00:43:41,160 Speaker 3: We'll never forget this. I went to like kind of 717 00:43:41,160 --> 00:43:43,080 Speaker 3: a trashy flea market when I was a kid, and 718 00:43:43,120 --> 00:43:45,480 Speaker 3: they have those like kind of like I don't know, 719 00:43:45,520 --> 00:43:48,360 Speaker 3: probably not fully legal, like weapons type stands, or you 720 00:43:48,360 --> 00:43:50,920 Speaker 3: can get a taser or like a big old knife 721 00:43:51,040 --> 00:43:55,600 Speaker 3: or in this occasion, a taser knife for when stabbing 722 00:43:55,760 --> 00:43:58,640 Speaker 3: or tasing just isn't enough you need you gotta have 723 00:43:58,680 --> 00:43:59,759 Speaker 3: both in one and one. 724 00:43:59,840 --> 00:44:04,239 Speaker 1: You Yeah, I see those. I don't personally have one 725 00:44:04,320 --> 00:44:07,759 Speaker 1: in essay, if you're listening. But we do have so 726 00:44:07,920 --> 00:44:10,399 Speaker 1: many other things we want to explore with you folks 727 00:44:10,440 --> 00:44:16,160 Speaker 1: who've got a great, great bunch of odd facts about Switzerland. 728 00:44:15,920 --> 00:44:19,280 Speaker 3: Some of which were actually new to me. But I'm 729 00:44:19,320 --> 00:44:19,839 Speaker 3: on the fence. 730 00:44:19,880 --> 00:44:23,520 Speaker 1: Would we save these for an episode on Switzerland itself? 731 00:44:23,800 --> 00:44:26,520 Speaker 3: I think so. I will just quickly say that I 732 00:44:26,520 --> 00:44:29,960 Speaker 3: think it's crazy that Switzerland has seven thousand legs, just 733 00:44:30,000 --> 00:44:33,239 Speaker 3: to give you a little taste, and it doesn't to 734 00:44:33,320 --> 00:44:36,920 Speaker 3: your point earlier ben fall under our micro nation category, 735 00:44:37,080 --> 00:44:39,319 Speaker 3: So yeah, I think one hundred percent. There's a lot 736 00:44:39,360 --> 00:44:43,080 Speaker 3: to talk about their craftsmanship. Max. We were talking off 737 00:44:43,120 --> 00:44:47,560 Speaker 3: air about just their attention to detail and machining and 738 00:44:47,600 --> 00:44:50,440 Speaker 3: manufacturing of like military implements as well. 739 00:44:50,280 --> 00:44:53,799 Speaker 1: And watches of course, the Swiss watches. I'm gonna write 740 00:44:53,800 --> 00:44:55,319 Speaker 1: an episode on that. Man. 741 00:44:55,680 --> 00:44:57,520 Speaker 2: I gotta talk about the fact that they have four 742 00:44:57,600 --> 00:44:58,480 Speaker 2: national languages. 743 00:44:58,560 --> 00:45:00,880 Speaker 3: That's always getting to what language are we going to 744 00:45:00,960 --> 00:45:02,160 Speaker 3: record the Switzerland. 745 00:45:02,320 --> 00:45:05,920 Speaker 2: We got to do Romance, which is which is like 746 00:45:06,239 --> 00:45:08,719 Speaker 2: the Swiss language that no one speaks, but it's still 747 00:45:08,719 --> 00:45:09,879 Speaker 2: an official language, just. 748 00:45:09,840 --> 00:45:12,520 Speaker 3: Like a town in the mountains. Well, we'll learn about 749 00:45:12,560 --> 00:45:16,279 Speaker 3: I think we have several Switzerland episodes ahead. I'm gonna 750 00:45:16,320 --> 00:45:19,160 Speaker 3: go with English if that's okay. All right. 751 00:45:19,239 --> 00:45:22,560 Speaker 2: By the way, their their website, their their website from 752 00:45:22,640 --> 00:45:25,720 Speaker 2: the government like auto translates to a bunch of different languages. 753 00:45:26,560 --> 00:45:27,359 Speaker 3: Yeah, we're good. 754 00:45:27,719 --> 00:45:31,000 Speaker 1: Also they have a lot of international customers. We're gonna 755 00:45:31,040 --> 00:45:34,040 Speaker 1: leave that one there, but it did change that much. 756 00:45:34,080 --> 00:45:37,040 Speaker 1: So uh, No, you'll do your part of our Switzerland 757 00:45:37,080 --> 00:45:39,319 Speaker 1: podcast in English, Max, and I will do it in 758 00:45:39,440 --> 00:45:42,400 Speaker 1: romani Ish. Uh And then we should get the overall vibe, 759 00:45:42,440 --> 00:45:45,480 Speaker 1: the general gist in the meet Yeah, thanks so much 760 00:45:45,520 --> 00:45:48,480 Speaker 1: for tuning in Ridiculous Historians. Thanks to our super producer 761 00:45:48,520 --> 00:45:53,960 Speaker 1: mister Max Williams, our composer Alex Williams and. 762 00:45:53,320 --> 00:45:56,520 Speaker 3: Oh yeah, Eve Chef Coats and Christo raciotis here in 763 00:45:56,560 --> 00:46:00,360 Speaker 3: spirit a J. Mohammas Jacobs, the Puzzler, Jonathan Strickland, the 764 00:46:00,520 --> 00:46:04,840 Speaker 3: quizt got some really fun crossover episodes coming up in 765 00:46:04,880 --> 00:46:07,440 Speaker 3: the very near future. Gonna get back up with our 766 00:46:07,520 --> 00:46:11,720 Speaker 3: buddies Zaraon and Elizabeth over on Ridiculous Crime, as well 767 00:46:11,760 --> 00:46:14,319 Speaker 3: as something we've sort of teased. I'm just gonna say, 768 00:46:14,719 --> 00:46:16,439 Speaker 3: Smithsonian's put that out there. 769 00:46:18,000 --> 00:46:22,720 Speaker 1: Thanks all suits, Rachel, Doctor, Rachel Big Spinach, Lance, shout 770 00:46:22,719 --> 00:46:26,240 Speaker 1: out to the good people Zurich and Geneva. Can't wait 771 00:46:26,360 --> 00:46:29,800 Speaker 1: to explore on the podcast and on the ground. 772 00:46:30,000 --> 00:46:40,239 Speaker 3: We'll see you next time, folks. For more podcasts from iHeartRadio, 773 00:46:40,360 --> 00:46:43,600 Speaker 3: visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen 774 00:46:43,640 --> 00:46:44,680 Speaker 3: to your favorite shows.