Unlike Chinese pay attention to loyalty, filial piety and benevolence, foreigners attach the most importance to the spirit of the contract, and the United States is famous for attaching importance to the spirit of the contract. Because the spirit of contract is deeply rooted in the minds of foreigners, many foreigners are often constrained by the spirit of contract when doing things, thus forming a force of persistence. There was such an incident in European history, where 189 mercenaries fought tens of thousands of enemy troops because their contracts did not expire, and the only remaining 5,000 regular troops at that time ran away!
This happened in Switzerland, where in 1506 Pope Julius II formed a special mercenary army called the Swiss Guard. The Swiss Guards were formed by the Pope himself, and they were loyal only to the Pope. Although as mercenaries they often encountered life crises, in order to preserve their glory, in order to maintain their credibility, they would at all times firmly stand by the side of supporting the Pope.
In 1527, Europe was nominally ruled by the Pope, whether it was the Roman Empire, or other small states, as well as the princely states that had split off from the Roman Empire, who were nominally subjects of the Pope. However, as representatives of secular power, there are also many kings who are not willing to be driven by the pope, and they want to be a king who can be arbitrary.
So the Pope had to find a way to constantly balance the forces of the whole of Europe, lest one of them be particularly powerful and have a disobedient heart. The papal state at that time was located in the middle of the Apennine Peninsula and was an area under the direct rule of the pope, and the incumbent pope at that time was Clement VII. In order to crack down on some forces with disobedient intentions, he instigated France to do things. The armies of the Holy Roman Empire defeated the French, and about 34,000 people became interested in the rich Papal States because they were not paid.
The soldiers forced their leader, the Duke of Bourbon, to march to Rome in order to plunder the wealth, beauties, gold and silver jewelry there. This rebel army was disrespectful, and on the way to Rome, it robbed, raped and plundered, and did all kinds of evil. At that time, there were still 5,000 regular militia under the Pope, but when they saw tens of thousands of troops running in a mighty way, they were already frightened, so they did not listen to the Pope's command and "scattered" themselves.
However, in such a bad situation, there are still some real warriors left, these are 189 mercenaries, as the Papal Guard, they are often strictly screened to serve. They are all physically strong, at least 174 or older in height, and they are all unmarried young adult men, young and strong. On the day of their appointment, they all solemnly swore an oath to God, to steadfastly allegiance to the Pope, and never to betray them during the term of their contracts.
On May 6, none of their mercenary contracts had expired, so they were afraid, but instead of leaving the Pope, they followed him closely to protect his safety. 34,000 rebels, even if these 189 mercenaries have great ability, can not defeat the rebels, so after considering the strength of both sides, the Guards led the Pope out to kill a way out.
After a fierce battle, the Guards paid the price of more than 100 casualties, and only 40 people survived, but they also managed to save the Pope from the siege and escape the rebel encirclement. Although the Swiss Guards suffered heavy losses, they also received the greatest recognition and trust from the Pope, and until now, the rebuilt Swiss Guards have been an important protective force for the Vatican.
The reason why these 189 Warriors have persevered is that their contracts have not expired, and they must stick to the spirit of the contract!