When the Florence-born Niccoló Machiavelli (1469-1527) entered political and literary life, the demand for a united Italy was already developing throughout Italy. He himself was a committed supporter of the unification of Italy, and wrote both his literary works and the texts of his political, legal, and philosophical discourses in the national language, Italian.
He enthusiastically helped and served whoever he believed could successfully lead the unification movement. For a while, he became the second chancellor of the Republic of Florence, and thus also a member of the leading body of the city-state, the Council of Ten, so his office also included diplomatic missions and the organization of the army.
During this period, he mainly wrote studies and reflections on military science and political-diplomatic subjects, in which he discussed ideas about the organization and equipment of the army, and finally the possibilities of wars. The final summary of these writings is The Art of War, which is still considered by many to be the first classic work of military science.