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Machiavelli and the Republic by Jack Wellman 2007-11-11 10:29:43 |
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The Merchants The landscape was totally devastated. Dead, blotted human corpses littered the field and valley. It seemed the whole of Europe and Italy was ablaze. Everywhere one went, a death pall hung silently in the air, supported by the stench of rotting human flesh. At the climax of a great bloodbath in northern Italy, mercenaries had fled to the opponent's side, panicked by the uncertainty of the outcome. Again, the city-state had failed its citizens, who were left to mop up the morbid remains with tears and rags. I am thoroughly fascinated by this European Genius, named Niccoli Machiavelli. In his book The Prince, he reveals the cause of the incessant wars in Europe. It is the merchants (the wealthy). Machiavelli was correct in his assessment that the political rulers of Venice, along with other Italian city-states, were responsible for blocking unity in face of the threat from France. In his Florentine Histories he examined the internal decision making of the city-states during wars and not simply at the battlefield results. He understood the necessities of human provinces as a means of self-survival. He could see no benefits of Italy’s fate being left in the hands of merchants. Merchants motivated by wealth were as equally undependable as the candottieri (mercenaries) who thought nothing of fighting against them next time. Merchants in northern Italy city-states had histories of using their government offices for personal gain. The same Venice Machiavelli had contempt for later would, in due time, embrace his desire for a Republic. Niccoli Machiavelli was a reference throughout European military history. The contributions of Machiavelli certainly have differing weights of importance. One of the greatest contributions was the idea of the republic, and one that would be self defending, self supporting and self governing. This did not include Venice’s expansionism which brought disaster. Merchants alone, he said, can not make the right choices for a republic because their motivation is money. And a republic must have a strong government for, without it, total freedom would bring decadence to all but the wealthy. The Military Machiavelli had tremendous insight in the nature of warfare perhaps from personal experience and observation. This experience would lay the groundwork for future military strategy. As a diplomat he observed French and German statecraft at work. For example, he saw the crucial need for leadership during the heat of the battle and not allowing events to dictate what they must do. He prepared strategy for the unexpected, and tried to anticipate the unexpected, even if it was the general panicking. Sir Francis Bacon’s approach was directly influenced by Machiavelli, particularly the eliminative and induction process of acquiring knowledge. As a brilliant scientist, Bacon admired Machiavelli’s views. Part of this preparation involved the protectorate’s forced conscription which Machiavelli saw as the price a free society is obliged to pay. The actual conscription law drawn up by Machiavelli on December, 1505, included fifteen to fifty year old males, and formed an impressive militia of ten thousand. Machiavelli’s military philosophy, wrapped up in the Roman style, worried some Venice government officials. They wondered if his idealization of the Roman Empire was associated the Republic’s expansion. Hate is not too strong a word for Machiavelli to use for the mercenaries. They were in it just to get paid. That was their only motivation and the same motivation as with the wealthy merchants. This was Machiavelli’s sticking point. Let the governed rule, from the bottom up. The council had to answer to the governed. Not only were the governed accountable for their decisions, the councils who make the decisions would share equally in their fortune or misfortune. That is, be a Republic. Nicolli Machiavelli was also a historian, writing the classic Florentine Histories. When Spain took control of Italy over France, Machiavelli was exiled and his political career ended. It is fortunate for history that this occurred as his exile left him time to write down his histories and philosophies, including his theories of the republic. It is easy to completely trust Machiavelli’s writings, for he was careful not only in his use of sources but in revealing those sources. Most upper schools, universities and colleges use his premise even today. It is referred to as Citations or References or Works Cited. The renowned historian and author, David Hume, living in a time where historiography was in its infancy, he classifies Machiavelli as one of four great modern historians. Machiavelli’s historical pattern was the one with which Hume patterned his own writing of history. He writing’s were popular reading throughout Europe in the 16th century. Machiavelli ranks with historians like David Hume, Thucydides, and Guiciardini. The Republic Machiavelli felt strongly that the prince, as he referred to the rulers, must understand human nature and its selfish tendencies. Prepare a society for such citizens and make the rulers accountable for their actions. Freedom comes through strength (inscription). The governed of the city-state must be involved in the arming of the people. However, Machiavelli feels a key ingredient is still missing from the republic. The sole road to freedom must be walked upon virtue for a republic to thrive. Even today, Italy’s constitutional form of government still has its roots in the Machiavellian Republic model. The present Italian government, along with most of the developed world, agree that a government has the right to punish offenders that harm society. This may sound reasonable in our day, but in the Middle Ages and medieval period, this was not always the case. Laws were in the hands of feudal land nobles, wealthy merchants or local villages and so Machiavelli’s view on criminal punishment was ahead of it’s time for societies. This was no small accomplishment. It stabilized society. Sir Francis Bacon was a lifelong disciple of Niccoli Machiavelli in that the state must use the means of total war and that resources alone were not enough to win war, but the will of the people was the most necessary element. Bacon also admired Machiavelli’s anticipating the unexpected. It could also be argued that Machiavelli’s love of the Roman way produced a weakness in his political philosophies but it must be argued that the Roman Empire‘s conquered people live in great stability and peace. Just like the Roman Empire, there would be forced conscription, strict governance and strong force if necessary. Historians today feel that Machiavelli’s republic had the important role of a force holding society from flying into chaos, especially with unexpected events. To be fair to Machiavelli, he was not a social scientist or a military strategist necessarily. He was concerned with the survival of the state. The republic must be prepared for the unexpected from the enemy, it must make preparations for the unanticipated, and the republic itself must bear the cost of this preparation. The elimination of the private, professional soldier must be replaced with a republic’s own citizens. With the citizen lay the greatest price of this Republic, yet this same citizen would also be its greatest beneficiary. Ovi_magazine History War Literature |
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