Many factors went into determining whether or not a prince or king was successful or not. Some of these factors were simple things such as the king's personality or the method by which he comes to power. Niccolo Machiavelli wrote this book as a guide for Lorenzo Medici to become a good ruler. He describes these factors, but attributes most leaders' achievements to their taking advantage of local circumstances. Machiavelli attributes military victory to having a strong army composed of native soldiers and strongly discourages using a mercenary army. The availability of soldiers is a local circumstance that can result in victory or defeat for a king. Another important local factor that can determine a thriving leader involves the land …show more content…
Hiring of mercenaries has lead to the downfall of many great empires and kingdoms. The Roman Empire was brought down, in part, because of their growing reliance on disloyal mercenaries to control the frontier borders. The most crushing example of mercenaries leading to self destruction is gone into great detail by Machiavelli when he describes how they have lead to the ruin of his dear Italy. We can see throughout history that the most successful armies have been compiled of native, home-grown troops. Many examples are given, including the armies of Hiero of Syracuse, Charles VII, and even David of the Old Testament. The availability of soldiers and native troops was a local circumstance that affects the successfulness of a ruler because with them he can become mighty but without them he can accomplish nothing.
The other local factor that can differ from place to place and has a large impact on the success of a leader, deals with the differences between a ruler's customs, language, and religion and those of the conquered peoples. In the situation where differences exist, Machiavelli suggested that the most effective method to employ was for the prince or king to go and live there himself. This would allow the king to react more quickly
There are many important concepts to being successful leader. “The Prince,” a classic non-fiction written by Machiavelli in 1532 is an interesting story that gives readers a guide on how to rule a kingdom. It also, provides the do’s and dont’s on how to become a successful prince. In the story, Machiavelli discusses three themes: free will, hatred and laws and arms. Albert Lebrun followed these three ideas he had his own free will, he was feared by his people and had what Machiavelli describes to be the main foundation of every state. Albert Lebrun’s life shows that Machiavelli’s advice is still relevant today.
Machiavelli believes that the foundation of a strong Nation State is a strong army. According to The prince the most important part of being a leader is studying the art of war. Staying in power is a main point in the prince and to stay in power a Prince must conduct a strong army. The Prince proclaims not only do you need a strong army but also you need to be in total control of that army. “Prince ought to have no other aim or thought, nor select anything else for his study, than war and its rules and discipline; for this is the sole art that belongs to him who rules, and it is of such force that it not only upholds those who are born princes, but it often enables
“It is much safer to be feared than loved.” This quotation was just a specimen of the harsh and very practical political annotation of the legendary historian, Niccolò Machiavelli – philosopher, patriot, diplomat, advisor and statesman. He was born as the son of a poor lawyer in 1498, but he never let boundaries restrict him. He still received an excellent humanist education from the University of Florence and was soon after appointed as the Second Chancellor of the Republic of Florence.2 His political importance to Florence would soon give him the opportunity to write what is disputed as one of the most significant works in history, The Prince.
The Prince was Machiavelli’s way to write a series of teachings to explain how he thought a successful leader, specifically a Prince should run his kingdom. One of the many topics which he covered in this short collection of essays was the art of warfare. This was focused on in the short but important chapter XVI, titled “What a Prince Should do regarding the Military”. (Page 58-60). Through this chapter, Machiavelli showcases three distinct discipline that a prince or leader should follow to ensure their maintained power and success.
In The Morals of the Prince Machiavelli expresses his presumption on how a prince should act. He expresses that a prince should be feared, merciful, stingy, etc. He is right because if a prince is loved and too generous then people will take advantage of him and that will lead to his down fall. A prince must act appropriately to remain in power. Machiavelli gives his best ideas to keep a prince in power.
A family of monarchy which tortured Machiavelli for months causing him great suffrage and sorrow. He writes to Lorenzo “May I trust, therefore, that Your Highness will accept this little gift in the spirit in which it is offered: and if Your Highness will deign to peruse it, you will recognize in it my ardent desire that you may attain to that grandeur which fortune and your own merits presage for you.” This enough is confusing because if this is the same principality that caused so much suffering why dedicate a book to let their reign continue into longevity? As to add to this confusion, Machiavelli explains how a prince should use cruelty and violence correctly against the people. To use cruelty and punishment all at once so that the people learn to respect you by fear. He includes that if you had a choice on either being loved or feared, be feared for love can change as quick as it came. Fear of punishment, people would avoid and be subservient. He also goes on to put out that a prince must be cunning like a fox yet strong and fearsome like a lion. To use Realpolitik, morality and ideology left out for the world is not these things as you should not be as well. Furthermore, Machiavelli explains what must happen when a new ruler overtakes a new city and the people in it. “And whoever becomes the ruler of a free city and does not destroy it, can expect to be destroyed by it,
However, he encourages the use of virtues as a method of control in both chaos and order. Furthermore, contrary to the Greeks, he views the virtues as a means to an end rather than an end in itself. Moreover, he encourages the use of virtue as a facade, rather than their internalization. Seeing that history plays a crucial role in Machiavelli’s political theory, it can be postulated that his tainted views on virtues result from the 1494 French takeover of Italy. Fortune the arbitrator of such despair, shattered a stable and peaceful community, interrupting the security, stability and legitimacy to rule, allowing many to take advantage of the state’s instability, while leaving the virtuous in anguish. This leaves Machiavelli affirming that a prince must have the required skills of “appearing” temperate, courageous, liberal, magnificent, pious, humble and honest, rather than internalizing these virtues. Therefore, it can be concluded that Machiavelli carries a more realistic approach to political theory when compared to Plato. This further contributes to how Machiavelli views politics as a theatrical piece in which a ruler must remain in character for the audience, or in this case the masses. In addition to appearing virtuous, a ruler must also create a social distance with the masses, in order to separate the inferior form the superior, generate authority and, give the
Machiavelli attributes the success of a nation to the effectiveness of the ruling absolute monarch. Machiavelli
Niccolò Machiavelli wrote, in his novel The Prince, that strong central political leadership was more important than anything else, including religion and moral behavior. Machiavelli, writing during a period of dramatic change known as the Italian Renaissance, displayed attitudes towards many issues, mostly political, which supported his belief that strong government was the most important element in society. These attitudes and ideas were very appropriate for the time because they stressed strong, centralized power, the only kind of leadership that seemed to be working throughout Europe, and which was the element Italy was lacking. Machiavelli
achiavelli presents a unique view on governing a state. Machiavelli believes the ruling Prince should be the only authority that
Nowadays, it is politically impossible to commit to paper a "training guide" for leaders. There are innumerable detractors to any possible stance or strategy a leader might adopt. As a result of this, all "training" must take place behind closed doors, far from the prying eyes and ears of the news media or the public. But this has not always been the case.
Finally Machiavelli notes that inherent power of the public, which exists despite the dictatorial power that any prince exercises. When discussing fortresses, he states that "the best fortress a ruler can have is not to be hated by the people, for if you possess fortresses
Relying on the needs of the society of that time, Machiavelli comes to the conclusion that the most important task is the formation of a single Italian state (Machiavelli 15). Developing his thoughts, the author comes to the following inference: only a prince can become a leader capable of leading people and building a unified state. It is not a concrete historical personality but someone abstract, symbolic, possessing such qualities that in the aggregate are inaccessible to any living ruler. That is why Machiavelli devotes most of his research to the issue of what qualities should the prince possess to fulfill the historical task of developing a new state. The written work is constructed strictly logically and objectively. Even though the image of an ideal prince is abstract, Machiavelli argues that he should be ruthless, deceiving, and selfish.
The Prince is Machiavelli’s guide for ruling and conquering states. Machiavelli elaborates on various ways to acquire principalities and provides the reader with a straightforward guide on how to successfully conquer and maintain control over states. Machiavelli analyses the strengths and flaws of certain paths to conquest, how to maintain a hold on power and the importance of strong arms. Machiavelli sees humans as easily persuaded and simple minded. He believes that all people want to be controlled and guided and those who control do so because their intellect is much greater than the average person. In chapter eleven, Ecclesiastical Principalities, Machiavelli elaborates on the strength and weaknesses
Niccolo Machiavelli based his position of individual power on his book The Prince. The Prince extends Machiavelli’s analysis of how to acquire and maintain political power. There are four types of principalities discussed: hereditary principalities, that are inherited by the ruler through fortune and family royalty, mixed principalities, territories that are annexed to the ruler’s existing territories, new principalities, namely the Papal States belonging to the Catholic church, and new principalities, those states that may be acquired by one’s own power, by the power of others or by the will of the people. There is simplicity for a prince that inherits a state through fortune or the efforts of others due to easy ascent to power, but maintaining the power is more difficult. For a prince that conquers a state through force and power has difficulty conquering the state but has an easy time maintaining the state.