History: Machiavelli

1469- 1527 - Niccolo Machiavelli was an Italian politician who's ideas have come to embody an ideal of political power. Machiavelli served as a secretary to the Florentine Council of Ten, and as a diplomat. When the Medici regained control of Florence in 1512, Machiavelli was forced into exile where his political ambition shifted from participation to writing. In his master work, The Prince, Machiavelli explains techniques for achieving and expanding political power.