What was niccolo machiavellis the prince about

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Over the centuries that followed, the principles it espoused would trigger outrage as well as admiration and establish Machiavelli as a controversial and revolutionary political thinker. Years after writing The Prince , Machiavelli penned The Art of War , a treatise written in the form of a dialogue between a military expert and citizens. The Art of War discusses the role that citizens have in supporting and using military troops to the citizens' advantage, the role of training and the best use of artillery in disarming one's enemies.

Drawing on themes he introduced in The Prince , Machiavelli also notes how deception and intrigue are valuable military strategies. Machiavelli would be blamed for inspiring Henry VIII to defy the pope and seize religious authority for himself. Hitler kept a copy of The Prince by his bedside and Stalin was known to have read and annotated his copy of the book.

Some scholars have questioned whether Machiavelli intended that readers take him at his word. Instead, they propose that The Prince was actually a satirical work and intended as a warning of what could happen if power is left unchecked. But most take it at face value as a cold-blooded blueprint for how to gain and hold onto power. Codevilla, The Hoover Institution. But if you see something that doesn't look right, click here to contact us!

Subscribe for fascinating stories connecting the past to the present. Toward the end of the 14th century A. Leonardo da Vinci was a painter, architect, inventor, and student of all things scientific. Ace your assignments with our guide to The Prince! SparkTeach Teacher's Handbook. Summary Overview. Next section Context. His tomb is in the church of Santa Croce in Florence, which, ironically, he had been banned from entering during the last years of his life. Today, Machiavelli is regarded as the "father of modern political theory.

We strive for accuracy and fairness. If you see something that doesn't look right, contact us! Subscribe to the Biography newsletter to receive stories about the people who shaped our world and the stories that shaped their lives. Italian sculptor Donatello is one of the most influential artists of the 15th century in Italy, known for his marble sculpture David, among other popular works.

Filippo Brunelleschi was one of the leading architects and engineers of the Italian Renaissance and is best known for his work on the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore the Duomo in Florence. Petrarch was a poet and scholar whose humanist philosophy set the stage for the Renaissance.