History Literature / ThePrince

* FollowTheLeader: [[invoked]] Machiavelli advises the reader to read the histories of great leaders, such as Cyrus the Great or Hiero II of Syracuse, and learn the ways they used to get and kept power, but also learn what mistakes they made, so that you don't makes them as well.

* CrushingThePopulace: One of the two advices Machiavelli gives about how to deal with a recently conquered, former republics - the other advice being that the conqueror actively settles in on his newly conquered lands - as the native population most likely wont forget their former freedom and will continue to rebel against their new masters. Concerning newly conquered, non-republican kingdoms he gives out a more lenient advice of saving that crushing only to the ruling dynasty; afterward you should immedaitely replace yourself as the new king of the lands and allow the natives to continue live out their lives as before, with a few changes of policies.

* CrushingThePopulace: One of the two advices Machiavelli gives about how to deal with a recently conquered, former republic - the other advice being that the conqueror actively settles in on his newly conquered lands - as the native population most likely wont forget their former freedom and will continue to rebel against their new masters. Concerning newly conquered, non-republican kingdoms he gives out a more lenient advice of saving that crushing only to the ruling dynasty; afterward you should immedaitely replace yourself as the new king of the lands and allow the natives to continue live out their lives as before, with a few changes of policies.

* BadBoss: Machiavelli advises you to use both this trope and BenevolentBoss. You should be harsh enough to keep your subordinates in order and fear, but you also must be benevolent enough to them that they will be loyal to you. In short, Machiavelli advises you to be a ''pragmatic'' boss.

* SelfMadeMan: If you plan to take power through your own guts, skills and will alone, and with minimal to no help from stronger factions, you'll have to fight long and hard to get it but if you succeed with it, you'll have it easy to rule, since your efforts more likely will inspire true and sincere loyalty and respect from your followers and subjects. If you got the power handed to you on a silver plate, you'll find it easy to gain it but hard to keep it, since the easy way in doesn't inspire any true loyalty or respect from your subjects, and there's a chance that those who gave it to you will take it back if they think you don't do well enough.

* SummonBiggerFish: Should be used with caution, because if you as a prince of a smaller principality [[GondorCallsForAid summons the aid of a much more powerful one in the time of need; especially during times of war]], then they can use your debt to them afterward as a pretext to reduce you to their dependent vassal. Therefore, the prince should learn to keep his principality as self-reliant as possible and only ask for the aid of the much bigger nation as a last resort.

* SummonBiggerFish: Should be used with caution, because if you as a prince of a smaller principality [[GondorCallsForAid summons the aid of a much more powerful one in the time of need; especially during times of war]], then they can use your debt to them afterward as a pretext to reduce you to their dependent vassal. Therefore, the prince should learn to keep his principality self-reliant as possible and only ask for the aid of the much bigger nation as a last resort.

* CrushingThePopulace: One of the two advices Machiavelli gives about how to deal with a recently conquered, former republic - the other advice being that the conqueror actively settles in on his newly conquered lands - as the native population most likely wont forget their former freedom and will continue to rebel against their new masters. Concerning newly conquered, non-republican kingdoms he gives out a more lenient advice of saving that crushing only to the ruling dynasty, therefore you should then replace yourself as the new king of the lands and allow the natives to continue live out their lives as before, with a few changes of policies.

%%* TheUnfettered

* WarriorPrince: Fighting on the front lines alongside with your troops is a great way to boost positive PR, especially among the soldiers, who're the one social group whose loyalty and allegiance is the most important to earn and keep for your guaranteed stay in power.

* CrushingThePopulace: One of the two advices Machiavelli gives about how to deal with a recently conquered, former republic - the other advice being that the conqueror actively settles in on his newly conquered lands - as the native population most likely wont forget their former freedom and will continue to rebel against their new masters.

* HundredPercentAdorationRating: Machiavelli says that being universally loved would be ideal for a ruler, but it isn't a very realistic goal because of limited resources and human nature. You should earn a reputation for being strict but fair instead of bankrupting yourself in vain by trying to please everybody.

* WarriorPrince: Fighting on the front lines alongside with your troops is a great way to boost positive PR, especially among the soldiers.

[[PopculturalOsmosis Most people]] are familiar with Machiavelli as the man who said, "[[BeamMeUpScotty it is better to]] [[PopCulturalOsmosis be feared than loved]]". Over the years Machiavelli's name has become associated with [[DidYouActuallyBelieve dishonesty]], [[ChronicBackStabbingDisorder deceit]], and [[TheUnfettered ruthlessness]], so much that they even made his name an adjective most often used for unsavoury characters. However, Machiavelli repeats that while it is better for one to inspire fear, one should ''also'' try to inspire love, and must also remember not to [[ZeroPercentApprovalRating inspire hatred]]. A very common mistake people make is to conflate, "Be pragmatic," with, "Be an asshole." Everything a leader says and does need not automatically be a duplicitous front. A leader is perfectly free to have ideals, and be kind, generous, and just with their subjects. The main point is that if achieving one's goals means the leader ''must'' commit unsavoury acts, then they must do it. Going down in flames with your ideals intact is a fine and noble thing to do - some may say it is a moral obligation - but that is ''not'' the point of this book. ''The Prince'' should be regarded as a guidebook to maintaining power for the good of the prince and [[WellIntentionedExtremist ultimately the state]], ''not'' how to [[KickTheDog kick puppies left and right.]]

As of note, "Prince" (or "principe" in the original Italian) at the time just meant "ruler", more or less (from Latin "princeps" = "first one"). [[JustForFun/IThoughtItMeant It didn't mean "the son of a king"]]. If there was only one person in the state who really mattered, it was called a monarchy. Even a democratically elected president would have still been called a "Principe".

* IdiotBall: Cited as something not to hold onto. Louis XII of France is [[InUniverse cited as a prime example]] of how to ''not'' screw with another country effectively, and in Chapter 3 Machiavelli calls out [[WhatAnIdiot Louis on his idiocy]], and shows how his treatment of the lesser powerful states would lead to them pushing the French back out of Italy, and tells us that for all the force used to take down Naples, he would lose it as quickly as he'd gained it. Machiavelli says that had Louis taken a pragmatic approach in Italy, not shared power with the Spanish, and aided those less powerful than he, he may well have held onto Italy for quite some time.

* ItsAllAboutMe: ''The Prince'' takes the healthy individualism of the Renaissance to the extreme.
** Possibly, though also can be seen as a subversion. It's less about doing it for oneself but doing it for the common good as well. See PragmaticHero.

* PragmaticHero: What being a prince ultimately should be. Though Machiavelli suggests ruthless thing, all of it is to the end of protecting one's people and ensuring their prosperity instead of being a self-centered tyrant.

* CassandraTruth: Machiavelli spends a lot of time talking about how patriotic soldiers with genuine loyalty to the prince and the state are going to be more reliable than mercenaries who only care about payment. The Medicis ignored his advice, continued to rely on mercenaries and utterly failed to unite Italy. Three and a half centuries later, the UsefulNotes/WarsOfItalianUnification finally united all of Italy, in no small part due to the efforts of Italian patriots.

* BetterToKillThanFrighten: Discussed. Machiavelli recommends killing political enemies rather than trying to intimidate them as blackmailing them may just give them enough motivation and/or ammunition to use against you.

Written by Italian statesman Creator/NiccoloMachiavelli in 1513, ''The Prince'' (''Il Principe'') is the single most famous political treatise and the first entirely secular work of UsefulNotes/TheRenaissance. At the time it was first published, ''The Prince'' was seen as extremely scandalous for its endorsement of ruthlessness and amorality. Nevertheless, it quickly became popular with politicians and remains highly influential in Western politics today. If there's any MagnificentBastard in ''anything'' set after the Renaissance, it's very probable he's taken cues from this book.[[note]]Although they aren't quite as likely to actually have an in depth knowledge of the book as much as a pop-culture impression. However, it should noted that many fascists during the 19th and 20th centuries were mostly inspired by this work, as many fascist dictators such as Hitler and Mussolini kept a copy of this work, the latter even wrote a thesis relating to this work.[[/note]]

* BadBoss: Machiavelli advises you to use both this trope and BenevolentBoss. You should be harsh enough to keep your subordinates in order and fear, but you also must be benevolent enough to them that they will be loyal to you. In short, Machiavelli advices you to be a ''pragmatic'' boss.

* BreadAndCircuses: Helps, but not a requisite.

** The book does point out that you should only reserve such treatment for people who are actually guilty of something though. Heaping a FateWorseThanDeath on someone who wronged you will teach others not to be so foolish. Doing it to an innocent bystander will just foster hatred of your despotism. Cruelty to your enemies is a good way to terrify them, but random acts of cruelty is right out.

* KingpinInHisGym: Keeping your body physically fit is just as important as keeping your mind sharp and your army strong. Hunting is Machiavelli's personal recommendation of physical activity, because it only trains the senses, but you will also gain an understanding of how the terrain around you works which is especially useful when fighting a war on your turf.

Written by Italian statesman Creator/NiccoloMachiavelli in 1513, ''The Prince'' (''Il Principe'') is the single most famous political treatise and the first entirely secular work of UsefulNotes/TheRenaissance. At the time it was first published, ''The Prince'' was seen as extremely scandalous for its endorsement of ruthlessness and amorality. Nevertheless, it quickly became popular with politicians and remains highly influential in Western politics today. If there's any MagnificentBastard in ''anything'' set after the Renaissance, it's very probable he's taken cues from this book.[[note]]Although they aren't quite as likely to actually have an in depth knowledge of the book as much as a pop-culture impression. However, it should noted that many fascists during the 19th and 20th centuries were mostly inspired by this work, as many fascist dictators such as Hitler and Mussolini often kept a copy of this work, the latter even wrote a thesis relating to this work.[[/note]]

[[PopculturalOsmosis Most people]] are familiar with Machiavelli as the man who said, "[[BeamMeUpScotty it is better to]] [[PopCulturalOsmosis be feared than loved]]". Over the years Machiavelli's name has become associated with [[DidYouActuallyBelieve dishonesty]], [[ChronicBackStabbingDisorder deceit]], and [[TheUnfettered ruthlessness]], so much that they even made his name an adjective most often used for unsavoury characters. However, Machiavelli repeats that while it is better for one to inspire fear, one should ''also'' try to inspire love, and must also remember not to [[ZeroPercentApprovalRating inspire hatred]]. A very common mistake people make is to conflate, "Be pragmatic," with, "Be an asshole." Everything a leader says and does need not automatically be a duplicitous front. A leader is perfectly free to have ideals, and be kind, generous, and just with their subjects. The main point is that if achieving one's goals means the leader ''must'' commit unsavoury acts, then they must do it. Going down in flames with your ideals intact is a fine and noble thing to do, and some may say you have a moral obligation to do that, but that is ''not'' what this book is about. ''The Prince'' should be regarded as a guidebook to maintaining power for the good of the prince and [[WellIntentionedExtremist ultimately the state]], ''not'' how to [[KickTheDog kick puppies left and right.]]

--> "Hence it comes that all armed prophets have been victorious, and all unarmed prophets have been destroyed. For, besides the things that have been said, the nature of peoples is variable; and it is easy to persuade them of something, but difficult to keep them in that persuasion. And thus things must be ordered in such a mode that when the no longer believe, one can make them believe by force."

[[PopculturalOsmosis Most people]] are familiar with Machiavelli as the man who said, "[[BeamMeUpScotty it is better to]] [[PopCulturalOsmosis be feared than loved]]". Over the years Machiavelli's name has become associated with [[DidYouActuallyBelieve dishonesty]], [[ChronicBackStabbingDisorder deceit]], and [[TheUnfettered ruthlessness]], so much that they even made his name an adjective most often used for unsavoury characters. However, Machiavelli repeats that while it is better for one to inspire fear, one should ''also'' try to inspire love, and must also remember not to [[ZeroPercentApprovalRating inspire hatred]]. A very common mistake people make is to conflate, "Be pragmatic," with, "Be an asshole." Everything a leader says and does need not automatically be a duplicitous front. A leader is perfectly free to have ideals, and be kind, generous, and just with their subjects. The main point is that if achieving one's goals means the leader ''must'' commit unsavoury acts, then they must do it. Going down in flames with your ideals intact is a fine and noble thing to do, and some may say you have a moral obligation to do that, but that is ''not'' the point of this book. ''The Prince'' should be regarded as a guidebook to maintaining power for the good of the prince and [[WellIntentionedExtremist ultimately the state]], ''not'' how to [[KickTheDog kick puppies left and right.]]

[[PopculturalOsmosis Most people]] are familiar with Machiavelli as the man who said, "[[BeamMeUpScotty it is better to]] [[PopCulturalOsmosis be feared than loved]]". Over the years Machiavelli's name has become associated with [[DidYouActuallyBelieve dishonesty]], [[ChronicBackStabbingDisorder deceit]], and [[TheUnfettered ruthlessness]], so much that they even made his name an adjective most often used for unsavoury characters. However, Machiavelli repeats that while it is better for one to inspire fear, one should ''also'' try to inspire love, and must also remember not to [[ZeroPercentApprovalRating inspire hatred]]. It is very common to mistakenly conflate, "Be pragmatic," with, "Be an asshole." Everything a leader says and does need not automatically be a duplicitous front. A leader is perfectly free to have ideals, and be kind, generous, and just with their subjects. The main point is that if achieving one's goals means the leader ''must'' commit unsavoury acts, then they must do it. Going down in flames with your ideals intact is a fine and noble thing to do, and some may say you have a moral obligation to do that, but that is ''not'' the point of this book. ''The Prince'' should be regarded as a guidebook to maintaining power for the good of the prince and [[WellIntentionedExtremist ultimately the state]], ''not'' how to [[KickTheDog kick puppies left and right.]]

[[PopculturalOsmosis Most people]] are familiar with Machiavelli as the man who said, "[[BeamMeUpScotty it is better to]] [[PopCulturalOsmosis be feared than loved]]". Over the years Machiavelli's name has become associated with [[DidYouActuallyBelieve dishonesty]], [[ChronicBackStabbingDisorder deceit]], and [[TheUnfettered ruthlessness]], so much that they even made his name an adjective most often used for unsavoury characters. However, Machiavelli repeats that while it is better for one to inspire fear, one should ''also'' try to inspire love'', and must also remember not to [[ZeroPercentApprovalRating inspire hatred]]. It is very common to mistakenly conflate, "Be pragmatic," with, "Be an asshole." Everything a leader says and does need not automatically be a duplicitous front. A leader is perfectly free to have ideals, and be kind, generous, and just with their subjects. The main point is that if achieving one's goals means the leader ''must'' commit unsavoury acts, then they must do it. Going down in flames with your ideals intact is a fine and noble thing to do, and some may say you have a moral obligation to do that, but that is ''not'' the point of this book. ''The Prince'' should be regarded as a guidebook to maintaining power for the good of the prince and [[WellIntentionedExtremist ultimately the state]], ''not'' how to [[KickTheDog kick puppies left and right.]]