The central importance of armies, the importance of the good will of the people, and the proper handling of "cruelties." He asserts the existence of class conflict between nobles and commoners.
How do you measure them successful Princes:
Can they fend off attack, and this depends on whether or not they can field an army. If not the next best defense is a well-fortified city of residence and the good will of the people. In order to keep the good will of the people you must frighten them with stories of the enemy's cruelty as well as silencing those who speak against the prince. This is a means to power but not the best way to keep it.
Chapter 8 :
Cruelties must be committed all at once rather than one at a time, since this way people can forget about them and come to like the prince, rather than being constantly confronted with his brutality. He does seem to argue that there are limits to brutality and unethical behavior stating that princes who constantly commit cruelties "will not possibly be able to maintain themselves in their state." Looking at dictatorships of the past 200 years some argue that Machiavelli underestimated the human potential for destruction.
Chapter 9:
That nobles and commoners are naturally opposed and that from this conflict a new form of government can arise. In every state there will be found two different dispositions that result from the fact that the people dislike being ruled and oppressed. According to Machiavelli, they don't weigh the options which are chaos and destruction of their way of life.
Chapter 16:
A prince should cultivate a reputation for being generous and liberal but should offer a great deal but in fact should be misers when it comes to actual distribution.
Chapter 17:
It is good for a prince to be reputed merciful rather than cruel but mercy should not be misused. Cesare Borgia ' cruelty won Romagna and made it peaceful. Executions hurt only those executed while disorder hurts everyone. It would be best to be both feared and loved, but when forced it is safest to choose being feared. men are generally ungrateful regardless of what they say and one cannot count on them Fear must exist without hatred. He should use capital punishment only justly and he should not touch their property .
Chapter 18:
A prince is competing as an animal both sly and fierce. He should break promises when they are against his interest as men are naturally bad and will break their promises to him. He must exude charity, integrity, humanity, uprightness, and especially piety. They are judged by appearance and results. Once he wins he will be thought honorable and the means he used to get their will be forgotten.
Chapter 19:
He should avoid being hated. He should appear steady as a rock. He faces 2 dangers internal insurrection and foreign attack. Strong armies prevent the later, not being hated by the people prevents the former.
"For it may be said of men in general that they are ungrateful and fickle, dissemblers, avoiders of danger, and greedy of gain"
5 ways to increase his power