The Prince Ch. 1-6

Ch1 What are the two main types of states Machiavelli identifies at the beginning of the book?

Ch1 How can a princedom be acquired?

Ch1 What is the primary difference between a hereditary and a new princedom?

Ch2 Why are hereditary states easier to govern than new princedoms?

Ch2 What is the main task of a prince in a hereditary state?

Ch2 According to Machiavelli, what is the most significant advantage a prince has in a hereditary state?

Ch 3 Why are newly acquired territories, or mixed princedoms, so difficult to maintain?

Ch 3 What are the two major ways a new prince can secure a mixed princedom, especially if the territory has a different language or customs?

Ch3 Machiavelli cites the example of King Louis XII of France and his failed attempt to hold Milan. What was Louis's primary mistake?

Ch3 Why is it a good idea for a prince to live in a newly acquired state?

Ch4 What two types of government does Machiavelli identify in this chapter?

Ch4 How does the government of Turkey (Ottoman Empire) differ from the government of France in Machiavelli's time?

The Turkish sultan governs with appointed ministers who owe their loyalty only to him, making it hard to invade but easy to hold. The French king governs with powerful barons who have inherited their titles and loyalty from their own subjects, making it easy to invade but hard to hold.

Ch4 Why was it difficult for Alexander the Great to conquer the Persian Empire, but easy for his successors to hold on to it?

single ruler (Darius) and his appointed servants. Once Darius was defeated, there was no one left with independent authority to resist Alexander's successors.

Ch4 Which of these two types of government is more difficult to acquire but easier to maintain?

a govt ruled by a prince/ministers

Ch5 What are the three ways a prince can hold states that were previously free and lived under their own laws?

1. ruin them

2. live there in person

3. allow them to continue living under their own laws and collect tribute but establish an oligarchy loyal to the prince

Ch5 Which of the three methods for holding a free state does Machiavelli recommend as the safest and why?

ruining them because people who are accustomed to freedom will always harbor a desire for rebellion.

Ch5 What historical examples does Machiavelli use to illustrate the folly of trying to rule free states without destroying their liberty?

He cites the Spartans' failure to hold Athens and Thebes, and the Romans' successful policy of destroying free cities like Carthage and Capua to ensure their control.

Ch6 What is the difference between acquiring a state through one's own virtue (skill/ability) and through fortune (luck)?

• A prince who acquires a state through virtue does so through his own competence, cunning, and military prowess. A prince who acquires a state through fortune does so through luck, inheriting a princedom, or being helped by others (UNSTABLE, destined for ruin).

Ch6 Machiavelli argues that princes who acquire states by their own virtue have the most difficulty in what stage?

In establishing new laws/orders/institutions

Ch6 What is the main challenge a new prince faces when introducing new laws or institutions?

The incredulity of humans; those who benefited from the old order, and lukewarm support from those who might benefit from the new one.

Ch6 Name some historical figures Machiavelli cites as examples of princes who acquired a state through their own virtue.

Moses (Israel), Cyrus (Persia), Romulus (Rome), and Theseus (Athens).