The Prince

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Chapter 1 to Chapter 7

Chapter 1

Republics or principalities hold power and rule over people.

Principalities are either hereditary, or they are new.

Chapter 2

The prince only deals with how principalities should be ruled and preserved An inherited principalilty is easier to rule than a new one - all you have to do is not break their old rules.

Chapter 3

People change their rules willingly, in the hope that the new ruler will be better than the current one.

Out of necessity the current prince also burdens his people in establishing a new principality. The current prince also made enemies with those that were injured in seizing the principality.

Even if you have a strong army you still need the goodwill of the people to keep a principality. It is easy to lose a new principality because a new prince can not immediately reward those that helped him. As soon as a principality is won, you should get rid of the rebels and strenghten yourself in your weakest places.

Principalities in your country and of the same language as your country are easier to hold than if they are not. It is even easier to hold if this principality has not been used to self-government. When taking over a principality you only have to do two things, kill the previous prince and his whole family and do not change the current laws and taxes. Taking over a principality in a country that differs from your language, customs and laws are much more difficult. The best way to make this easier is to go and stay in this principality. When you are on the spot, problems are easily spotted and fixed before they get out of hand. You can also prevent you officials from plundering the country. It is difficult to take over a principality if its prince stays there - in the principality.

You can also send colonies to principalities to help holding it. Sending cavalry and infantry is much more expensive. Colonies are more faithful to you and it injures the people less than cavalry. People should be treated well or be crushed. If you injure someone only lightly they can still take revenge, if you crush them they can not revenge.

Armed men just consume the states income. Colonies are the best option.

A prince should be careful that a foreiger does not come and get more power than he has. Neighboring states not taken over should not be allowed to become too powerful. The prince must remain the master of the whole country. If you do not do this, you will be taken over, or otherwise you will constantly have power struggle difficulties.

Sensible princes should prepare for the future too. Minor problems should be addressed immediately before it gets out of hand. To foresee problems is difficult, but when you see future problems, act to fix this at once.

Keep your weak and powerless friends secure and protected. They will then come to you for help.

You should not weaken yourself, especially by helping other to become more powerful.

It is natural for men to want to acquire. If they do they are praised. If they are unable to acquire, they get stupid. It is easy to understand that when you do not observe these rules, after you take a principality, you will lose it.

To hold a principality a prince must understand statecraft and warcarft.

"he who is the cause of another becoming powerful is ruined" ??? for the hat to Rouen

Chapter 4 (deligation)

A principality is either governed by a prince and servants or by a prince and barons. Barons rule their states. If a prince rules using servants he is regarded much higher because he is the only ruler in the country.

Countries with one prince and servants are difficult to take over. Everyone is supporting the prince - they can not help you in your takeover. Servants do not have the people following them, so if you corrupt them, they can not help you.

Once you take over such a country and you kill the prince and his familty, is is easy to rule: there is no one with power to fear.

A country with barons is much easier to take over - there is always some barons that are unhappy about something that you can win over. Such people make a takeover easier, but makes it more difficult to hold afterwards.

If you know these rules, it is easy to understand why someone holds onto an empire, while another prince loses an empire. Holding a state has more to do with uniformity in a state than with the ability of the prince.

Chapter 5 (power)

There are three ways to handle a state that has been used to being free, living under their own laws. Ruin them go and stay there in person permit them to live under their own laws, establish your own small government there

Having such a small government run by you has its advantages - they support you because they cannot live without your support.

A prince that holds a city by keeping it free, will hold it more easily than by any other means.

If you do not ruin a city used to freedom, they will want to regain their freedom and therefore stand in unity against you. You must ruin them, or go and stay there ruling them.

Cities or countries used to being ruled is easy to overtake and to become the new ruler.

Chapter 6

A wise prince should immitate and follow in the footsteps of other great leaders before him. Imitation will not equal you with their abilities. Princes should aim very high, if they hit a target much lower, it was still worth it to aim high.

A prince has much less difficulty in holding a principality he won by his own ability than a prince that got a principality by good fortune. If you stay in your new principality, it is easier to keep than if you were to try and rule it from afar.

Princes with high abilities can recognize opportunities and take advantage of it - because of their abilities.

Nothing is more dangerous, difficult and uncertain than too introduce a new order of things. Your enemies will be those that had greatest advantage from the old order of things. Those people that will not benefit from your new order of things, will not support it enthusiastically.

When you