Stalin A Machiavellian Prince - 1941 Words

Stalin: A Machiavellian Prince Victoria McAlister Professor Innes Enlightenment and Liberal Democracy 1 October 2015 How does a leader gain and maintain the love of his people when he is killing them in mass numbers? Joseph Stalin was successful in this by following the political tactic of using fear to gain love. A tactic that was highly valued by Nicolo Machiavelli in his work The Prince. â€Å"In Arthur Koestler’s Darkness at Noon, the main character, and Old Bolshevik, Nikolaiz Rubashov, declares that â€Å"Number one† (Stalin) kept Machiavelli’s The Prince as his favorite night-table book† (Tisemanean). Stalin’s strategy of leadership can be closely compared to the strategies that Machiavelli describes in The Prince. A work that received much controversy over the lessons it preached to political leaders. It coined the phrase â€Å"the end justify the means† which follows as a consequence of considering vice a virtue. Stalin used many vices to gain and maintain his state till the day he died. Alexsandr Solzhenitsyn work, The First Circle, showcased how even on death’s door Stalin still used traits treasured in a Machiavellian prince. This paper will assess how Stalin follows Machiavelli’s guidelines for a prince in the areas of war, fear, crime, and in dealing with the people. An absolute that Machiavelli states for a prince is that they, â€Å"ought to have no other aim or thought, nor select anything else for his study, than war and its rules and disciplines† (88).Show MoreRelatedThe Prince by Machiavelli1057 Words   |  5 Pageswrote the book The Prince to give politicians a basis on how to rule a nation and as a way to continue to make a statement in Florence’s politics. The book itself was unlike the regular â€Å"mirrors for princes†, in a sense that instead of telling the prince how to be morally sound it told him how to be effective as a ruler. Within the book there were three characteristics that were expressed that can be considered of high importance for every prince/ruler. These th ree were every prince should rather beRead MoreMachiavelli’s The Prince: Examples of Machiavellian Leaders Essay2048 Words   |  9 PagesArguably, the most Machiavellian leader to ever exist would be Joseph Stalin. He abided by three major Machiavellian methods that were stated in the Prince: the ends justifies the means, crush any opposition, and displaying a false character. Stalin had a plan for Russia and did everything in his power to achieve that plan. He wanted to transform Russia into a industrial superpower, a military superpower, and a political superpower. To achieve his goals he committed many horrible crimes againstRead MorePolitical And Political Ethics Of A Democratic Society2074 Words   |  9 Pagesethical change in a society in his book, â€Å"The Prince†. He creates a fictional Prince with the lofty mission of uniting the warring city states of Italy. Machiavelli uses the book to set out a detailed set of instructions dedicated to teaching this P rince how to obtain the necessary power to fix Italy. He permits the prince to engage in ethically questionable acts, including violence and corruption to achieve his goal. For example, he advises the Prince that the only way to ensure necessary power whenRead MoreMachiavelli s The Prince 850 Words   |  4 Pagesprosperous of societies. Machiavelli s novel The Prince was the first stab at understanding this human tendency of what is now known as Machiavellian. Machiavelli grasped the sad reality of our world and did not fall prey to other s idealistic propaganda. Great leaders understand what the endless potential they hold, they can manipulate their followers to make best of what is possible and above all they understand sacrifice. 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A particular act cannot be judged as good simply because it may lead to a good consequence. The means must be judged by an objective and consistent standard of morality. In the Machiavellian paradigm, the prince acts with a view to his own gain. He is advisedRead MoreThe Ideas Of Machiavelli And Socrates1988 Words   |  8 Pagesleaders around the world. From Stalin to the founding fathers of the United States, Machiavellian influenced motives and ideals can be seen throughout modern history. Socrates is often referred to as the founder of Western philosophy, and his teachings have been passed on to leaders over the centuries. This paper will state both the Machiavelli’s concept of a ‘Prince’, and present Socrates’ perspective on the ‘ideal’ prince. It will then evaluate Machiavelli’s concept of prince from Socrates’ perspectiveRead MoreThe Best Paper Evvver1898 Words   |  8 PagesGlobal: Summer Reading Notes The Prince By Niccolo Machiavelli 1) Why did Machiavelli write The Prince? Machiavelli wrote The Prince because he wanted to impress Lorenzo de Medici, who was the current ruler, and prove that he was knowledgeable and a useful advisor to him. He also wrote it as a mirror for Princes to read and understand how to be effective in power. 2) Name three recurring themes in The Prince? 1) One recurring theme in The Prince was that successful war is the foundationRead MoreBooks That Continue To Thrive Centuries After Their Initial1578 Words   |  7 Pagesextensively. With his experience in politics and desire for a unified Italy, Machiavelli decided to reach out to Lorenzo de’ Medici, the governor of Florence, in the form of The Prince. In his dedication before the start of the treatise, Machiavelli observes that the way people perceive a ruler is immensely different from the way a prince perceives himself, but that both perspectives are important. Therefore, he strives to give Medici insight into the way his people perceive him, and how that might affectRead MoreIs It Better to Be Loved or Feared as a Leader?1774 Words   |  7 Pagesimprisoned and despised after going against the new ruler of Florence, Lorenzo de Minci. In a desperate attempt at making amends with Lorenzo, Machiavelli wrote a book that outlined how to be a successful ruler in the 16th century. In his book called The Prince, he explains how to maintain power as a leader and maintain control over all of their subjects. Despite the fact that this book was written over 25 centuries ago in a time of violence and corruption, it still remains as a guide for leaders even in