THE COMMISSAR

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP75-00001R000200120042-7
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: November 11, 2016
• Document Release Date: January 22, 1999
• Sequence Number: 42
• Publication Date: August 4, 1954
• Content Type: NSPR

1
PUNCH Approved For Release 1999/09/07 CIA RDP75-00001 FmT100
A gent contributed by
__,,Mr Houston, sag
CPYRGHT
THE COMMISS.R (After Niccolo Machiavelli)
o extena the power alai-, uence
of his government.., Go
should, in his strjagems,
as possible eschew engaging his oft
soldiery. This can readily be achieved
by persuading others that their own
cause-whether of "national liberation"
or some other ostensibly popular enter-
prise-will be advanced by falling in
with his purposes.,Whus they will shed
their blood, and he will collect the
fruits of victory.
Furth rmore, he can, in course,
take crIt fgr~Fending hosti which,
in fact, he iiM-tiated. This ` the
easier and t~h? .more pcofitabfe i e goes
through the notions, of negotiating a
settlement _ of making concessions.
As he will have'no intention of observing
the settlement, and as the conc1*1}ons
will be wi , suhstanc great van-
tages must, j a from t i pro are.
Happy an 1 Mtunate is t1're'Commrssar
who finds hi elf deaUng with vain and
feeble men. that they are vain, they
will go to 4Sy. lepgths to be able to
persuade t elves fl eir country-
men that y dare aut and resolute
enough to to ully with him
where otht?es e fa , hat they are
feeble, t ay be relied upon ever to
wifhdra re, the possibility of having
to reso ed intervention.
The ptGiltige that these metl ac~quirc
from b able thus to parade them-
selves ash adroit `` fin '.negotiators is
entirely fo ar's interest.
aduff" ':
To sustar$ , 1961"e they must
keep alive i 3' ic' iflu A''that they have
negotiated rather than surrendered, and
that the Corh issar is a man of reason
and integrity: For this purpose they
will both falsify what has happened,
in the sense of minirrii}ng what the
Commissar has gained and what they
abuse any among their ple who
show an inclination to disparage their
Nor should Commissaf"fear that a
deception onced cannot be repeated.
On the contrary, he can continue to use
it again and again, confident that vanity
and fear will ever generate gedulity, and
that each; new dupe will., }}ppose that
j in his particular case undert in*s will
~e scrupulously fulfilled. aRd - that
professions of friendship and pacific
intentions are seriously intended..,
In the case of.. a truly powerful
enemy?t Commissar, must first
isolate.,4rRi ,,This,car} nest be done by
detaching,.,lys assort }ta11 of whom
will natur4ly feel,f}enrt at their
subordinate - pos tWi e#vy of their
dominant pars jding them,
severally pr, fog$f colds them
in particular esteem+, ssar can
easily ensure that such strength as they
may command,;its'3rendered?'ineffectual.
He will then,. gel , vfe11 placed either to
FOIAb3b
come to terms. with the now isolated
powerful energy at the expense of the
weaker assor}af es he has lured away,
or to en upon hostilities on
highly advantageous terms. In either
case, he has benefited.
In working out this strategy the
Co issar is under no necessity to hide
his a intentions. Ekperience shows
that the more vociferously and ex-
plicitly he proclaims them the less
likely are they to be taken seriously.
Great conquests can be made after being
announced in advance, and pre-ordained
victims will easily he persuaded to
receive without effective resistance the
punishment they have been told in
advance is corning to them.
Above all, altkough the Commissar
must he constant in professing his
fidelity to engagements and his pacific
intentions, he need never concern him-
self about the consequences of behaving
in an exactly contrary sense. Every
time he breaks an agreement, he may be
confident that a new one extending the
advantages he derived from the old
will be eagerly sought. T,e_
offensive he is in speech and rutlj
44W, the greater will be thh ~a]
upon .any ostensrdry mi
conciliatory action?in";
engage.
Approved For Release 19 C A- 0