Adolph Hitler (left)
Niccolo Machiavelli (right)
Niccolo Machiavelli is an Italian diplomat, political theorist, and a historian who has written the political book called The Prince. Machiavelli emphasized the need for realism, as opposed to idealism. In The Prince, he does not explain what he believes is the best ethical or political goals, except the control of one's fortune. Throughout The Prince, Machiavelli explains how a perfect ruler or dictator should be and also one who does not hesitate when he must take a decision. He also talks about how a man who is mentally powerful who cannot be brought down by any words or actions done by others. A famous line from The Prince is "It's better to be feared/hated than to be loved." However, there are many types of Machiavellian leaders and dictators in today's time such as Saddam Hussein, Napoleon, Hosni Mubarak, Vladimir Putin and Hitler just to name a few! Anyhow, I will relate to how Hitler is an example of a modern day Machiavellian prince from his past actions throught his period of ruling in Germany.
"It's better to be feared/hated than to be loved." - From The Prince
The quote above by Machiavelli is a famous line from his readings named The Prince. It relates majorly with Hitler's personality. Hitler believes that it is better for people to hate or be scared of him rather than being loved. An example of this is Hitler's hatred on the Jews, he believed the Jews were the cause of the World Wars leading him to torture the Jews and letting the Jews fear Hitler. He always followed the path of being feared thinking it is better because at least he will be the person who is always in power and is heard by all. Hitler's actions prove Machiavelli's saying because he was feared by millions of people throughout the world but also was the only person in dominant power.
Machiavelli also states in The Prince that "war should be the only study of a prince". He should consider peace only as a breathing time, which gives him leisure to contrive, and furnishes as ability to execute, military plans. Hitler had caused many wars in Europe before World War Two between the alliances and other European countries regarding land and territories. As long as Hitler did not accomplish what his goal was, then he would be in constant war with another nation, and yes he did consider peace only as a breathing time as he always had violence occur between the people and nations. He would always be making up military plans such as when he wanted to invade parts of Russia and other small nation states which relates with Machiavelli's quote mentioned above. Also, Hitler always had himself armed by security and weapons; Machiavelli also believes that one can only be victorious if he himself is well-equiped with weapons and confidence.
"Hence it comes about that all armed Prophets have been victorious, and all unarmed Prophets have been destroyed." - says Machiavelli from The Prince
Machiavelli wrote in The Prince that one can do anything to achieve his political goals, relating back to Hitlers political goals of killing each and every Jew there was in Germany and most of Europe. Hitler had gone to such an extent to achieve his political goal that he had the holocaust occur, killing over six million Jews in a variety of concentration camps, slavery and hunger. Hitler supports Machiavelli's idea of doing anything to achieve one's political goals setting Machiavelli to be a role model for these types of rulers and dictators.
"It is necessary for him who lays out a state and arranges laws for it to presuppose that all men are evil and that they are always going to act according to the wickedness of their spirits whenever they have free scope." - Machiavelli states from The Prince
Hitler is a modern-day example of a Machiavellian prince as he followed most of Machiavelli's ideas and supports many of the ideas written in The Prince. As Machiavelli would say, one was not born to power, he seized and kept it as the only way to keep power if you are not born to it was to keep it through bloody means; all of which Hitler had committed and did it successfully. Hitler kept his position in dominant power and ruled for years and did anything to keep this ruling power, which is why he is a great example of a Machiavellian prince.
Thanks for the helpful information. I was just wondering if anyone knew the author of this website for citation purposes.
ReplyDeleteThis is utterly false, Machiavelli does not praise dictators, tyrants or power-mongerers in any way shape or form, to say this is to adulterate his message. I assume you have not read the Prince or any of his other works. It sounds like you have read what some people have misattributed to Machiavelli or an adulteration of his work. Also Machiavelli's quote is false the full quote is:
ReplyDelete"Upon this a question arises: whether it be better to be loved than feared or feared than loved? It may be answered that one should wish to be both, but, because it is difficult to unite them in one person, is much safer to be feared than loved, when, of the two, either must be dispensed with. Because this is to be asserted in general of men, that they are ungrateful, fickle, false, cowardly, covetous, and as long as you succeed they are yours entirely; they will offer you their blood, property, life and children, as is said above, when the need is far distant; but when it approaches they turn against you. And that prince who, relying entirely on their promises, has neglected other precautions, is ruined; because friendships that are obtained by payments, and not by greatness or nobility of mind, may indeed be earned, but they are not secured, and in time of need cannot be relied upon; and men have less scruple in offending one who is beloved than one who is feared, for love is preserved by the link of obligation which, owing to the baseness of men, is broken at every opportunity for their advantage; but fear preserves you by a dread of punishment which never fails.
I get that you say Machiavelli supports the notion of power and supremacy and not dictatorship. I think here, the essay is trying to relate both of them. It is not calling Hitler as a complete product of Machiavellianism but trying to relate different activities and history of events of Hitler to the definition and essence of Machiavellianism. Hitler always read and appreciated The Prince, not to mention but he was very much inspired by the ideas and theory of The Prince. Moreover, there is a little bit of Machiavelli in every person. Like, if the Fire incident wouldnt have taken place, Hitler wouldnt have been able to assert and gain the power he had. This is an example of his theory of Power, Virtue and FORTUNE. just like thta, I think this is sort of good to test famous political leaders onthis scale, to get to the closest of what goes in their minds and what they think.
Deletethe author of this essay never read The Prince, has no concept of Italian history and even less of the history and context of Jews in Germany and Jewish exploitation of German institutions; the role they played in forcing war upon Germany, and the context of Hitler's collaboration with zionists to carry out Louis Brandeis's order that "all Jews leave Germany."
ReplyDeleteIn short, this essay is ahistorical nonsense.
this really helps me with my social Machiavellian leaders project because it is a great example and explains in depth
ReplyDeleteThis is false. Machiavelli asserted that cruelty is an effective tool only when used all at once, and that a ruler or prince who is overly cruel is destined for failure. This is made evident in his example of Oliverotto of Fermo-- Who became a military commander and plotted with a few leading citizens to take over the city. His uncle arranged a lavish banquet to welcome him. On a prearranged signal, Oliverotto and his soldiers killed all the guests, including his uncle, and then terrorized the city into obedience. Machiavelli explains that his use of terror is what ends his rule. Machiavelli asserts that ruling with fear is adequate but the best rulers couple fear with a love that isn't root in fear (which love for hitler was). Hitler did not follow machiavellian principles, hitler's virtù is unchanging, which is against the foundation of what makes a Machiavellian prince. A true representation of Machiavellian tactics is the atomic bombing of Nagasaki and Hiroshima; a swift act of cruelty that established to the US as the worlds premier power and stuck fear into the rest of the world which then turned into reliance and later adoration for a time.
ReplyDelete