Although very short and concisely written, Niccolo Machiavelli’s The Prince can be considered the first and definitive work of modern political philosophy. The book itself helped set the foundations of European political philosophy for nearly 450 years to come. At first look, Machiavelli’s logical guide for the preservation of a prince’s power seems to be an amoral approach to politics. To some, it may even seem cruel because of Machiavelli’s complete disregard for the plight of the common people. However, there is much more to The Prince than such a superficial analysis of Machiavelli’s political philosophy. To fully understand what Machiavelli wanted to say with The Prince, its historical and political contexts must first be understood as well as Machiavelli’s personal motivations and a full analysis of the ideas he presents.

The political situation in Italy while Machiavelli was alive played an extremely influential role in his writing The Prince. After the Peace of Lodi in 1454, the five major city-states of Italy – Venice, Florence, Milan, the Papal States, and Naples – had an alliance system that preserved a “balance of power” between the

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