The Prince

Mistakes to avoid when conquering a country include expelling minor rulers who could serve as buffers and allies, strengthening a powerful state within Italy and creating a future rival, inviting an external great power of equal strength into the theater, failing to relocate and rule from Italy to secure control, and neglecting to establish colonies to cement presence and loyalty.

Comparison of two types of countries:

• Centralized monarchy (e.g., Sultanate): Hard to conquer, easy to hold once the ruling family is eliminated; elites are dependent “slaves,” hard to bribe, cannot rally the populace; after a decisive defeat and removal of the dynasty, resistance collapses.
• Feudal/baronial realm (e.g., France): Easier to enter via disaffected barons, but hard to hold; danger comes from both allies and the conquered; eliminating the royal line isn’t enough—barons persist as power centers, cannot all be satisfied or destroyed, and will eventually unseat you.

Ruling a city after conquering it.

• Former princely states: If the ruling line is destroyed, people—accustomed to obedience—are slow to resist; the conqueror has time to win them over and secure stability.
• Republics: Memory of freedom never dies; passions and vengeance run high. The safest ways to keep them are to destroy them outright or to reside there personally.