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As humankind developed, there appeared a discrepancy in power between different groups of people. Because of this variation, there became a need to study how this power worked, and what made it successful, or vice versa. This is what came to be called politics. Over the years, many people, which includes philosophers, theologians, historians and writers, have attempted to study and explain the best way to exercise power and maintain control over people. One of the most controversial of this group is Niccolo Machiavelli, who was a 15th century Italian from Florence. His most controversial work, The Prince, outlines what he learned working in the political scene for most of his life. Many people have labeled him as deceiving, immoral and corrupt because of this little book, but for the most part, his writings have been misunderstood, and a deeper look is needed to determine whether Machiavelli was such a wicked person in reality. Firstly, it is mandatory to take a look at the political atmosphere in which Machiavelli wrote this book. Machiavelli was born in Florence, Italy at a time when the country was in political upheaval. Italy was divided between four dominant city-states, and each of these was continually at the mercy of the stronger foreign governments of Europe. Since 1434 the wealthy Medici family ruled Florence. Their rule was temporarily interrupted by a reform movement, begun in 1494, in which the young Machiavelli became an important diplomat. When the Medici family regained power in 1512 with the help of Spanish troops, Machiavelli was tortured and removed from public life. One of the main purposes of The Prince is was, for Machiavelli, to some how get Florence back into the hands of local government and to restore Florence. By writing The Prince, he merely makes an attempt at telling the Medici family how to do this so that foreign invaders will not be able to seize control of Florence.
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