The Prince

by

Niccolò Machiavelli

The successor of Charles VIII of France, Louis XII continued the Italian campaigns pursued by his predecessor, conquering Milan in 1500 and Naples in 1501. Machiavelli criticizes Louis' early decision to ally himself with Alexander VI, which weakened Louis. Machiavelli argues that Louis, "Having made this first mistake . . . was forced into others."
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Louis XII Character Timeline in The Prince

The timeline below shows where the character Louis XII appears in The Prince. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 3
Goodwill and Hatred Theme Icon
The Masses and The Elite Theme Icon
...the people's "friendship" following a conquest. Machiavelli illustrates this principle with the contemporary example of Louis XII 's conquest and subsequent loss of Milan. (full context)
Laws and Arms Theme Icon
Fortune and Prowess Theme Icon
Machiavelli returns to his earlier discussion of Louis XII , analyzing the mistakes that he made during his Italian campaigns. Louis came into Italy... (full context)
Chapter 16
Laws and Arms Theme Icon
Virtue vs. Vice Theme Icon
The Masses and The Elite Theme Icon
...effort to maintain this reputation," opting for miserliness in order to finance the Church's wars. Louis XII , the king of France, has also used his parsimony to finance foreign campaigns without... (full context)