Vladimir Putin In Niccolo Machiavelli's The Prince

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Vladimir Putin is one of quite a few contemporary rulers who display the attributes that Niccolo Machiavelli advised for rulers to have, but the Russian is said to be the one that has been the most successful. Niccolo Machiavelli was a politician, historian, philosopher, as well as a diplomat from the Renaissance that wrote The Prince, which was basically a guide to how Machiavelli believed a prince had to act to successfully rule his state. It is clear in Putin’s actions that he has some inspiration from the advice that Niccolo provided nearly half a century ago. “He who wishes to be obeyed must know how to command.” Putin was born in Russia in 1952. Throughout his life, he has been involved with politics. He has been a Russian intelligence
One of his major ones was that a prince must always have a strong use of military actions. To quote the text, “The two most essential foundations for any state, whether it be old or new, or both old and new, are sound laws and sound military forces.” (Chapter 7) “ A prince therefore, must have no other object or thought, nor acquire skill in anything, except war, its organization, and its discipline. The art of war is all that is expected of a ruler…. the first way to lose your state is to neglect the art of war.” Many people today believe that having a lot of military power will get you in an unnecessary war. Vladimir Putin, however, disregards this idea and is very aggressive in his military
Machiavelli stated in The Prince, “Therefore the best fortress is to be found in the love of the people, although you may have fortresses, they will not save you if you are hated by the people.” (Chapter 20) Another important quote is, “ For always, no matter how powerful one’s armies, in order to enter a country one needs the goodwill of the inhabitants.” (Chapter 3) Machiavelli advises to not be hated at all costs, for being hated can bring a lot of misfortune against the prince. Putin has maintained approximately an approval rating of 65% through the course of all of his terms as President of

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