A Great Military Philosopher of the 16 th Century

1. Niccolo Machiavelli A Great Military Philosopher of the 16th Century

2. Table of Contents • Background on Niccolo Machiavelli • The Problem with European warfare • Machiavelli’s Proposal • The Art of War • Impact of his book • Further Information on Machiavelli

3. Niccolo Machiavelli • Traditionally considered a political philosopher • Mostly known for his books The Prince and Discorsi • Gained recognition as a military philosopher after publishing The Art of War

4. The Problem • European warfare had become drawn out and indecisive • New fortifications made traditional siege techniques obsolete • There were no professional national armies • Military force was dependant on mercenaries which were unreliable at best

5. Machiavelli’s Proposal • To address the situation Machiavelli wrote Arte della guerra • Otherwise known as The Art of War • The book’s main focus is to answer the question of how to raise an effective army capable of serving as a reliable instrument of policy

6. The Art of War • Recommended a return to the Greco-Roman military methods • The foundation of a republic is “justice and arms” • The “new” laws of warfare will essentially be the “old” laws of the Roman military order • Deduced the laws and principles that stood behind the facts of Roman military history, and show their applicability to the present day

7. The Art of War cont… • The aim of war must be to face the enemy in the field and defeat him there • Only way to bring war to a “happy conclusion” • War is the most essential activity of political life • War ought to be ended as quickly as possible with the attainment of a definite result: “the complete defeat of the enemy” • Military forces must be composed of the inhabitants of the land in which they defend

8. The Art of War cont… • Decision by battle must be the is the aim of every military campaign, which must be planned and coordinated • Command must be in the hands of one man • Military success depends on order and discipline • Training is never finished or completed • War must be considered a fulfillment of a religious duty

9. Impact of Machiavelli • The Art of War ranks as the most famous in a long line of treatises that rediscovered the virtues of the Greco-Roman military system • Twenty-one editions appeared and was translated into five other languages • His recommendations on training, discipline, and classification greatly increased their importance during the professionalization of soldiers • Military progress was not influenced by this work, but was provided with crucial explanations and justifications

10. Further Information • If you are interested in more in depth information on Machiavelli or his book the Art of War, visit these following websites • Niccolo Machiavelli • The Art of War