Machiavellianism as a personality attribute comes from the Italian philosopher Niccolò Machiavelli. In 1970, psychologists Richard Christie and Florence Geiss identified Machiavellianism as a personality trait which contains manipulativeness, deceit, and a cold, calculating, negative view of others and using others for selfish purposes. the most Machiavellian leader to ever exist would be Joseph Stalin who was a Soviet revolutionary and politician who was the leader of the Soviet Union from 1924 until his death in 1953. From the start, Stalin was noted for an extraordinary capacity to enforce his will, as is also said of Hitler. Autocracy has many limitations. 

Historians have written that Stalin was a “consummate actor”. When post-Soviet Russian historians saw that Stalin had deceived Roosevelt in some of the World War II crucial negotiations, academists pointed out that this was not very surprising, since he had even managed to deceive Alexei Rykov, Lenin’s successor as head of the Soviet government, who had served with him on the politburo(the most important committee of communist party in former USSR) in daily, close contact for over a decade – only to be shot later. If we look back at Stalin, we see only a terrorist, cold-blooded and brutal man. Stalin was not only terrorist and ruthless, but a double standard, conniving man. Not only in such things as the faked public trials, the disappearance of leading public figures, of writers, of physicists, even of astronomers, Stalin cleared all the characters whom he considered threat.

Vladimir Putin, the longer serving President of Russia is known as a Machiavellian grandmaster of geopolitical events. He is an unscrupulous politician. His bullish foreign policies, violently repressive domestic policy, and alarmingly high approval rating have projected him to the centre stage of world politics. How is it that Putin is so successful, and why is it that he is so often called Machiavellian? Putin announced a “special military operation” to demilitarize and denazify (remove Nazi influence) Ukraine, claiming Russia had no plans to occupy the country. Russian forces invaded Ukraine. The invasion was internationally condemned; many countries-imposed sanctions against Russia and increased existing sanctions. International sanctions are a powerful tool for governments and international organizations to enforce foreign policy goals, protect human rights, and reduce illicit activities.

The use of clever but often dishonest methods that mislead people to win power or control: Saying that scientists misinform the press suggests a Machiavellianism that is hard to support. a tale of business-world and political world Machiavellianism.

Former External Affairs Minister K Natwar Singh’s autobiography is a critical account of Sonia Gandhi’s run as Congress party president, of the party’s interference in government and in foreign policy decisions. Despite being a Foreigner (Italian), she got married into the first family of India, she was a waitress in Oxford University canteen.

She and her spouse Rajiv Gandhi, who is no more, was the PM of the country were accused of accepting bribes in the infamous Bofors deal; she used an Italian Middleman Ottavio Quattrocchi who’s said to be close to her which is fishy. After her husband’s assassination she usurped the Presidentship of Congress – the then largest political party in India. One of the facts is Congress was Always a Family Business of Gandhi family. After the party’s victory in 2004, she tried to become the PM of the country. When she was advised to not to take PM’s position for sake of her security, she installed a dummy PM for the throne for name’s sake. The worst was she compelled the PM and PMO to route all sensitive files through her. This act of her is criminal and unpardonable.

Machiavellians are sly, deceptive, distrusting and manipulative. They are characterized by cynical and distrustful beliefs, striving for money, power, and status, and the use of cunning influence tactics. Machiavellianism is not good, because people with Machiavellian traits tend to manipulate or deceive others to meet their goals. Machiavellianism and narcissism are both dark side of human mind and often go hand in hand as they have several commonalities, including a marked disregard for others.