Machiavelli praises the skill of warfare in the opening of this piece because he feels that knowing how to wage war, as a prince, is their most important responsibility. Knowing how to wage war is the basis for how a prince runs his domain. According to Machiavelli, “A prince, therefore, must not have any other object nor any other thought, nor he take anything as his profession but war…” (Machiavelli 36).
Machiavelli feels that warfare is the force that guides a country. He believes that “in peacetime he (a prince) must train himself more than in time of war…” (Machiavelli 38). He is saying that when there is no present war, that we should still be preparing for a war like it is tomorrow, so that we are ready for when it does come. I feel there is sense behind this because knowing the solution to a problem before it arises is better that having to figure it out right as the problem is occurring. On the contrary, I disagree with Machiavelli on how he believes war should be a leader’s greatest concern. It should be a concern, but not a prevalent as what Machiavelli is saying. Skills of war should be studied, revised, and newly interpreted, in order for a leader/prince to keep his country ready for battle and safe. However, the leader should also think of more present day problems; in Machiavelli’s time, the concerns were different from today, nowadays we have issues such as healthcare, welfare, and environmental to worry about.
Knowing warfare skills helps a prince keep control over there own country and defend it from others. Besides that, to me, knowing warfare gets you not much more. It helps when you are in war, and some of the skills can aid in the way you debate, but wars skills are to be used in war times.


Works cited
Machiavelli, Niccolo. “The Qualities of the Prince.” A World of Ideas: Essential Reading for College Writers. Lee A. Jacobs. 7th ed. New York; Bedford St. Martins, 2006. pp 35-50.