Summary — Chapter X: How the Strength of All Principalities
Should Be Measured
Although a prince should always aim to keep an army of
size and strength equaling that of any aggressor, it is just as
important to maintain defenses and fortifications. These defensive
preparations not only provide security but also deter enemies from
attacking.
Some might argue that if an enemy lays siege to a fortified
city, the people inside, upon witnessing their countryside pillaged
and possessions destroyed, will turn against their prince. But a
prince who has made adequate defensive preparations can actually
inspire his subjects during such times. To do so, he must convince
the people that the hardships are only temporary and, more importantly,
create feelings of patriotism and enthusiasm for the city’s defense.
This way, when the siege is over, the grateful and obliged people
will love the prince all the more.
Summary — Chapter XI: Concerning Ecclesiastical Principalities
Ecclesiastical principalities, regions under the control
of the Catholic Church, are different from other kinds of principalities.
Taking control of these principalities is difficult, requiring either
unusual good fortune or prowess. Machiavelli sarcastically remarks
that principles of religion, rather than governments, rule ecclesiastical principalities,
so the prince does not even need to govern. Ecclesiastical principalities
do not need to be defended, and their subjects require no administration.
Nonetheless, these states are always secure and happy. Since these
principalities are “sustained by higher powers which the human mind
cannot comprehend,” delving further into why this is the case would
be presumptuous.
It is useful, however, to look at how the Church has
obtained its great temporal power. Italy was once divided among
the pope and the city-states of Venice, Naples, Milan, and Florence.
Each of these powers was wary of the others and prevented the intervention
of any foreign power. Papal power was fairly weak during this time, due
to disagreement among the Roman barons and the short duration of
papacies. But Popes Alexander VI and Julius II greatly increased
the power of the Church by using armed force to weaken the other
factions, accumulating wealth to strengthen the Church’s own position,
and nurturing factionalism within any remaining factions.Thus,
the current Church, under the leadership of Pope Leo X, has been
made strong through the force of arms. It is now hoped that Pope
Leo will use his goodness and virtue to maintain its power.
Analysis — Chapters X–XI
Although Chapter X focuses partly on maintaining the well-being
of the people in a city during a period of difficulty, Machiavelli
views this only as a necessary step in making the city itself strong
and immune from attack. One surprising characteristic of The
Prince is how completely it defines the city as an entity
existing to serve its ruler rather than its populace. The discussion
of fortification emphasizes this conception of the city: obtaining
the support of the people is not a goal in itself but rather a means
for ensuring that the city remain fortified and resistant to foreign
conquest. The purpose of convincing the people that their hardships
are temporary, for example, is not to lighten the burden of the
people whose city is besieged, but rather a way to ensure the defense
of the city. The ultimate goal is not happiness but patriotism:
the defense of the state and its ruler. While Machiavelli often
advocates the use of military force, he also recognizes that military
strength alone cannot maintain a state’s strength. Although the
fortification of cities has a military value, Machiavelli focuses
on fortification as a tool by which a prince can solidify popular
support in times of war or siege.
Chapter XI may initially seem inconsistent with the rest
of Machiavelli’s writing. His acknowledgment that ecclesiastical
principalities are not subject to the historical patterns he observes,
and his description of their immunity from bad rulers and war, initially seem
to point to a respect for religion and acknowledgment of a higher
moral plane on which a state can exist. But Machiavelli’s remarks
in this chapter are bitterly ironic—he actually opposes the presence
of the Church in politics altogether, a view that he makes explicit
in his Discourses. In reality, Machiavelli understands
ecclesiastical principalities to be examples of the effective consolidation of
power, much in the same way as the examples of successful princes
that he cites. He focuses on the factors that ultimately led to the
Catholic Church gaining control over Italian principalities, and reveals
that these factors were not essentially different than those used
by other princes to gain power. Like other princes, the Church used
armed force, the accumulation of wealth, and astute political strategy
in order to gain control. Even though Machiavelli opens the chapter
professing that ecclesiastical principalities exist in their own category,
ultimately he views them just as he does any other state.
