Jake Kaufman

AP Euro Assignment #6

Mrs. Nierman

2) Machiavelli was a secretary to the Florentine Council of Ten during the time of the Medici familys exile, and went on many diplomatic missions to different regions in Italy, Germany, and France. The invasion of Italy in 1494 made this a time of particular political uneasiness. In 1512, the Spanish defeated the French, allowing the Medici family to return to Florence. Upon their return, the Medicis removed Machiavelli and other avowed republicans from power. When Machiavelli could no longer be an active part of politics, he instead reflected on politics in his works, The Prince and The Discourses. In these books, Machiavelli wrote about the reality of politics, not the idealistic thing that people want it to be. Machiavelli saw the political turmoil and corruption of Italy at the time and said that if there were a leader who could heal the wounds of Italian society, then that leader would be universally accepted. He was a strong supporter of a political system like the Roman Republic, but thought that realistically Italian cities were too corrupt for such a system. 3) Machiavelli believed that if a ruler wanted to obtain and hold on to power, then he must stop listening to medieval codes of conduct and stop speaking of how citizens are expected to follow the law because of the peoples inner good. Instead, he should realize the inner corruption of man, because he is ungrateful, fickle, deceptive and deceiving, [an] avoider of danger, eager to gain. A good ruler should be prepared to do what is morally wrong if he must in order to maintain power. Machiavellis perfect example of a ruthless (Machiavellian) leader was Cesare Borgia, the Popes son. Machiavelli also believed that a ruler should not judge his strength based on how much gold he has, because gold will create an army that is loyal to

money, and not to the state. For gold will not procure good soldiers; good soldiers will always procure gold. A good ruler must also be able to protect his subjects so that they dont become disloyal. A strong leader will also take responsibility for any faults in his administration, because the example of the prince is followed by the masses who always keep their eyes turned upon the chief. 4) Machiavellis works portray human nature as corrupt and evil. He thought of mankind as ungrateful and deceiving, among other things. He wrote that people and entire societies are all self-centered. The only way to succeed in Machiavellis view was to be merciless. Machiavelli also said that Italian cities were at this point (in his time) too corrupt to handle anything close to a Roman republic.