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The Prince



             lawyer-bureaucrat, Machiavelli was exposed to religion, classics, and politics at a young .
             age. (Jensen, 1960, vii) This early introduction fostered an interest, desire and talent for .
             government work. In 1948 at the age of 29, despite a lack of experience, Machiavelli was .
             appointed to serve as the second chancellor of the Florentine republic, engaging in .
             diplomatic missions through France, Germany as well as Italy. From his observations .
             overseas, in addition to his interactions with influential politicians including Cesare .
             Borgia and Julius II, Machiavelli began to formulate his principles on effective .
             leadership. Unfortunately, after over ten years of public service, he was suspected of .
             conspiracy. After the demise of the republic, he was arrested, tortured, and eventually .
             forced into retirement. Banished to his country estate, Machiavelli collected his .
             frustrations, and penned The Prince, The Art of War and other significant works. (Jensen, .
             1960, 21) .
             .
             The Prince was dedicated to Lorenzo de Medici, a powerful noble whose family .
             was responsible for the "fruition of Florence's commercial, artistic, and political .
             resources- (Ruffo-Fiore 1982, 3). Soon however, factions, foreign intervention, and the .
             extravagance and opulence of the Medici court led to the deterioration of Florence. .
             Machiavelli intended for The Prince to serve as a political treatise aimed at aiding the .
             Medici family restore Florence's success as well as secure him a position within their .
             government. His name had been on a list of possible enemies of the Medici's, so he was .
             currently out of favor with the rulers of Florence. The dedication was a desire to prove to .
             the Medici family that "he was a man worth employing- and that he was "a loyal .
             subject-. (Skinner 1981, 22).
             Although Machiavelli's attempts to re-enter the political realm failed, he was able .
             to use his expulsion as time to reflect and analyze what he had learned during his years in .


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