Living in a tumultuous time, filled with political and religious conflicts, warring city-states, and a continent ruled by a government that used the Church to control and conquer, a Machiavelli in exile wrote the book The Prince to give politicians a foundation on how to lead a nation and as a way to continue making a statement in the politics of Florence. The book itself was different from the usual "mirrors for princes" in that, instead of telling the prince how to be morally sound, it told him how to be effective as a ruler. In the book, three characteristics expressed can be considered of great importance to each prince/ruler. These three were that every prince should rather be feared than loved, study war and always be ready to face it, and that, in the case of two states at war, always choose a side and never disagree. move away from it. These characteristics were present in a strong and ruthless ruler who used the above three characteristics to rule an entire country. Joseph Stalin could be considered a mass murderer, but his achievements and contributions to Russia proved that by being feared rather than loved, by studying and perfecting warfare, as well as by his ability to choose his allies in war, this would ultimately lead to the prosperity of his country. nation. Machiavelli clearly stated in The Prince that for a ruler to be successful, he must always think about war and its institutions. In the book, Machiavelli states: "He should therefore never lose his mind from this exercise of war, and in time of peace he must train more than in time of war..." (Page 70, eBook edition ; Machiavelli). Joseph Stalin showed this mentality about war when he began tapping into Russia's already diminished poor classes to help aid middle of paper...... would ultimately help his nation become a country political and social. , and an economic power. In conclusion, Stalin was most certainly a Machiavellian leader. During his reign as Prime Minister of the Soviet Union, his actions, decisions, achievements, and life were close, if not exactly, to what Machiavelli was trying to teach the politicians of Florence. In this time of war and strife, Machiavelli saw the need for a great leader, willing to do what it takes to allow the nation to prosper. Joseph Stalin was that man of his times and, like many Machiavellian leaders, he would achieve success. and unrest throughout his reign as ruler. Joseph Stalin used his ability to be feared rather than loved, to study and perfect war, and his ability to choose allies in war to secure Russia's place as a world power on the planet, who some would call a true Machiavellian leader..