Florentine military reforms

The military reforms of the Florentine Republic were initiated by Florentine politician and political theorist Niccolò Machiavelli during the short-lived Republic of Florence that lasted from 1498 to 1512 under the priest Girolamo Savonarola. In the pursuit of the republican spirit which pervaded Florence at the time, Machiavelli sought to establish a military establishment that was similar to that of ancient Rome. He was specifically focused upon the establishment of an army possessed with the discipline of the Roman legions. He sought to establish a citizen-infantry capable of taking the field against the Italian Condottieri of the day, who largely terrorized the peninsula, in addition to the chronic foreign invasions which occurred on a regular basis at this time. Broadly speaking Machiavelli would institute a series of reforms in 1506 that would create a citizen army of 20,000 men, and establish a system that would keep this citizen army in a state of readiness.

Prior to Machiavelli's birth, Italy had been dominated by foreign kings or divided into independent duchies under the influence of the Condettieri for some time. Italy had experienced numerous revolutions. Before the Italian Wars, it had been the domain of the Holy Roman Emperors and numerous wars which seeking to take back control of Northern Italy. The independent states in Italy, lacking proper armies to field, resorted to the use of mercenaries. These caused numerous problems and Machiavelli placed no trust in these forces. He said of them at a later date: "The ruin of Italy has been caused by nothing else than by resting all her hopes for many years on mercenaries... when foreigners came they showed what they were"

For centuries Italy had been dominated by the Kings of France, Germany, Spain, and countless dukes and princes of German and French origin.

Machiavelli is primarily known for his political discourses such as The Prince and The Art of War, but he was also a middle-ranking official of the Florentine Republic. His position allowed him access to prominent officials and assemblies, and the opportunity to persuade them to implement his reforms.

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