This conflict eventually led to France and Spain battling for control of Italy and the spoils of its lucrative commercial trade. Because of this conflict, the ruling Medici family in Florence were thrown out and a republic was created. Four years later in 1498, Machiavelli began working for the Florentine Republic as an ambassador and made trips to France and Germany, which enabled him to witness modern statecraft in person (Spielvogel 313-314). The way Machiavelli approached his ambassadorship was characteristic of Italy's new way of viewing diplomacy. No longer was an ambassador in the service of all Christendom; he was now in the service of his state to protect and preserve that state's interests (Spielvogel 313). Unfortunately, Machiavelli's political career was cut short because of the turmoil of the Italian city-states at the time. Spanish victory in 1512 provided for the return of the Medici's to Florence and the exile of the Republican government, including Machiavelli. It was then that Machiavelli turned to writing about political philosophy because he couldn't practice politics in real life anymore, and what emerged was one of the greatest works on politics ever written: The Prince.
When he wrote The Prince, Machiavelli had many things in mind - to gain a political position in the Florentine government of Lorenzo de"Medici, whom the book was dedicated to, to foster support for the idea of a unified Italian state under one Prince, and to write a guide to effective ruling by a Prince that would be the definitive work on the subject. It would be presumptuous to assume that Machiavelli's dedication to Lorenzo de"Medici meant that the book's sole intention was to be a gift that would gain him a much desired position in politics again. Although this was definitely one of his motives, he also held the desire to see a unified Italy that could protect itself against outside invaders, as described in chapter XXVI.