On Military Art

Niccolò Machiavelli 1469–1527 - an Italian political figure and philosopher. As an advisor to the gonfaloniere of the republic Piero Soderini, he carried out military reforms and formed a national army. In addition, Machiavelli participated in diplomatic missions at the courts of Louis XII in France, Ferdinand II in Naples, and at the Papal court in Rome. After the return of the Medici to Florence in 1512, he was stripped of his position and only thanks to an amnesty and a bond paid by his relatives avoided execution. The politician was forced to leave the city and settle in an estate in the village of San Andrea in Percussina. There he began to work on the works that would make him famous for centuries. In 1520, On Military Art was written - the book discusses issues of soldier selection, their armament, troop deployment, conducting sieges, and many others. Machiavelli cites examples of battles from past centuries, analyzes the organization of the greatest armies of the past, and suggests new paths for the development of military affairs. Machiavelli's treatises were received ambiguously by his contemporaries and descendants, and the content of such works as The Prince and On Military Art still provokes disputes between opponents and admirers of the personality of Niccolò Machiavelli.