Many old pieces of literature have influenced the way people think about today. The Prince, written by Niccolò Machiavelli, was written as a "how-to" manual for a new prince. In it, Machiavelli makes extensive reference to the leadership styles, successes, and failures of historical figures. The term "prince" was used as a metaphor for any public official. Even though not all leaders of today have read The Prince, many follow Machiavelli's guidelines without knowing it. This is due to the fact that history does repeat itself and Machiavelli's observations of successful leaders of the past still hold in the modern world. I have chosen to focus on the Cuban revolutionary leader Fidel Castro and assess his success as a leader according to Machiavelli's 'handbook'. According to Pardo Llada (in Quirk, 1993), The Prince was one of Castro's favorite works, and from it, he "learned to justify everything."
             In Chapter 12, Machiavelli addresses the issue of the type of people a successful 'prince's' army should be made up of. He soundly criticizes the use of mercenary armies. He describes mercenaries as "useless and dangerous." Fidel Castro's men were originally rebels who believed in his cause and included his brother Raul as well as Ernesto 'Che' Guevara. Castro was famous for his passionate, anti-USA speeches and his followers shared his passion. As he said himself "the people are with us in the revolution and are willing to die with us in the defense of the revolution." This loyalty and passion for a cause are in stark contrast to Machiavelli's description of mercenaries as being "disunited...without discipline, disloyal," and having "no other love nor motive to keep them in the field than a meager wage."
             The next issue, found in Chapter 17, deals with whether a leader should be loved or feared. Machiavelli states that a leader's love can easily be betrayed, whereas most people will not be quick to challenge a leader they fear. This ar...