What does Machiavellian Arts Management Look Like? Part 2

Prepare for War, Even in Times of Peace
Next, Machiavelli addresses what he considers to be the most important aspect of leading a country. “A prince, therefore should have no concern, no thought, or pursue any other art besides the art of war, its organization and instruction. This is the only art that those who command are expected to master.” (Milner, pg. 86)
The major benefits of preparing for war, as presented by Machiavelli, are physical and mental strength. Physical strength for endurance, and mental strength for strategy development. He starts by addressing the physical aspect. “He should never, therefore, cease to think about the occupation of being a soldier, and should exercise more vigorously in times of peace than in times of war. This he can do in two ways, physically and mentally. As far as physical exercise is concerned, in addition to keeping his army well organized and trained, he should always be hunting. This will help him both to accustom his body to discomfort and to learn something of the lie of the land, so that he knows where the mountains rise up, where the valleys narrow down and how the plains extend, and observes the characteristics of the rivers and marshes.” (Milner, pg. 87)
Machiavelli then addresses the mental benefits. “This knowledge is useful in two ways. Firstly, he becomes familiar with his own country and better understands how to defend it. Secondly, through his knowledge and experience of those areas, he can more easily understand every other area that it might be necessary for him to spy out. For the hills, the valleys, the plains, the rivers, and the marshes of Tuscany, for example, have a certain similarity to those of other regions, so that from a knowledge of how the land lies in one region, he can easily come to understand another. The prince who lacks this skill, lacks the first attribute that a commander must possess, since it teaches him how to locate the enemy, where to strike camp, how to lead armies, plan battles and besiege towns to his advantage.” (Milner, pg. 87)
Machiavelli also compares a prince’s ability to stay prepared for war to that of a farmer or a town of people who are faced with drastic weather conditions. The time to prepare for such conditions is not when water is beating at your front door. The time to prepare is during the peaceful season when resources are plentiful and can be safely stored to use in the future. Dry, preserved wood can be used to build a barricade to keep most flood waters at bay, or to construct stilts for a home to sit upon. In Machiavelli’s mind, it is inevitable that a prince, a state, or a nation will face difficulties or uncertainty at some point.