In this chapter you will learn about
• Venice: An Introduction to the City-State
• The reasons for Venice’s rise to greatness
• The reasons for Venice’s eventual fall
• Lessons that Singapore can learn from the history of Venice
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BACKGROUND – EUROPE and
VENICE:
- Before 5th century AD: Political
Instability in Europe
- 5th to 9th centuries AD: Establishment
of Venice as a city state
- 9th and 15th centuries – Rise of Venice
- 15th and 18th centuries - Fall of Venice
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Political Setting in Europe [Before 5th Century AD] : Decline of
the Roman Empire and Emergence of Venice
-1st Century AD, Roman Empire, the only major empire in Europe declined due
to:
external threats, internal threats and poor economic growth.
- Roman Empire divided into Western and Eastern Roman Empires to manage
the problems.
Western Roman Empire:
- Western Roman Empire collapsed in 476 AD due to:
constant conflicts with Germanic tribes from Central and Eastern Europe
-Spilt into many kingdoms that frequently fought with one another
Eastern Roman Empire [Byzantine Empire]
-Survived due to good geographical position – could control trade in the Adriatic
Sea and the Middle East
- Faced constant attacks from Germanic tribes from its west and from the
Muslim kingdoms in the east
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Venice’s Beginning
- Refugees from the Roman Empires fled and settled in marshy
swamps located in Northern Italy at the tip of the Adriatic Sea
Geography of Venice:
-Located in Northern Italy. Consisted of clusters of small islands
[about 120] about 3 km from the mainland.
-These islands are in a lagoon and protected from the strong
currents of the Adriatic Sea by larger islands in the south
- Many salt marshes in the lagoon – salt became a profitable
resource for Venice
-Strategically located at the tip of the Adriatic Sea and therefore
able to control trade in the Adriatic and Black Seas and the Middle
East
-Protection from strong currents and availability of salt led to the
early rise of Venice
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Venice’s Beginning
Life of Early Settlers:
- Became seafarers because of the make up of Venice – made up of small islets with
little land for agriculture.
-Established fishing villages and main occupation were fishing, salt production and
making crafts especially shipbuilding.
-Dependent on the mainland for food and raw materials
Economic Activities:
-Monopolised the salt trade in the region because of their knowledge of salt
production
-Exchanged salt and fish for food with people in the mainland especially those living by
the Po River
-Established trade agreements with these communities and dominated region around
the river mouth and its surrounding mainland
- These agreements allowed Venetians access to the forested areas in the mainland
where they got wood for trading and shipbuilding
-Being skilled shipbuilders helped Venice expand its trade to the Middle East to obtain
valuable goods like spices, gold and incense in exchange for wood.
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-Venice became a strong trade power by the 7th century in the Adriatic Sea region
and
offered protection to Byzantine Empire’s territories along the Italian shores.
Venice’s Beginning
Venetian Society:
-Over time, a few families became very wealthy and politically
influential due to trade.
-The rest of the population consisted of merchants, fishermen, craftsmen,
salt harvesters and artisans (a skilled manual worker who makes items
that may be functional or strictly decorative, including furniture,
clothing, jewellery, household items, and tools)
-But there was social stability because:
i] efforts were made to ensure that the rich do not show off their wealth –
they could only decorate the interior of their houses not the exterior
ii] each islet had its own town centre where the market and church were
located. This was the place both the rich and poor gathered for
celebrations and provided opportunities for them to interact and build
neighbourliness [Common Space?]
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iii] the Venetians had a strong sense of belonging due to their history.
Venice’s Beginning
Venetian System of Government:
-Vassal state of the Byzantine Empire but had freedom to
choose their own leaders
-It was an Aristocratic Republic – Rich members of
society were elected its rulers
-Early Venetian government was a three-tiered structure
from 8th – 10th century – Will change after this to meet the
needs of a growing city-state
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Venice System of Government: Three - Tiered
Government Struture
• Doge – Leader appointed for life
• Ducal Council – Two advisors who assisted the
Doge. Selected men suitable to be the Doge
• General Assembly – elected the Doge and
passed laws on issues like trade and housing
Leader
Doge
Ducal
Council
Assists Doge and selects suitable
men to be Doge
General Assembly
Elected the Doge and passed laws10
Challenges Faced by Early Venetians:
1] Piracy
- Increased piracy in the Adriatic Sea when the Byzantine Empire
declined in the 10th century and could not offer protection to Venice.
- Piracy threatened Venice’s trade
- Venice did not have a strong navy then – paid yearly tributes to pirates
not to attack Venetian ships along the Adriatic Sea and also arranged for
Venetian ships to travel in convoys for safety.
2] Maintaining Good Diplomatic Relations with countries in
rivalry
- It was a vassal state of the Byzantine Empire but established good
relations with their rivals, the Germanic tribes in order to continue in its
role as middleman in the trade between the East and the West
- Kept friendly relations with rival mainland states to get favourable trade
conditions and to expand its trade.
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Significance of Winged Lion
Why a lion when Venice is a maritime city?
The winged lion was at first St. Mark’s symbol but was later
used as a way of showing the power of Venice. Legend
mentions that in the Ninth Century some Venetian thieves stole
the remains of St. Mark the Apostle from Egypt. They smuggled
the body onto the ship by stuffing flowers and meat around the
body to keep onlookers away. A storm struck at sea. It was then
that St. Mark “appeared” to the captain and warned him to
strike the sails lest the ship crash on the rocks. They survived
the storm and reached their destination. Local Venice religious
authorities elected St. Mark as the patron saint of Venice and the
winged lion (St. Mark’s traditional symbol) as the logo of the
Venetian Republic.
The winged lion is a symbol of peace, power and prestige
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View Of Venice
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Aerial View of Venice Today with a
bridge linking it to the mainland
Bridge
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2] Reforms in
the
Government
2a] To meet the
needs of a growing
city state
2b] To ensure
effective checks on
Power
Political Reasons
For Rise of Venice
1] Leadership:
Enterprising, forward –
looking, practical and
diplomatic Leadership
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1] diplomatic and practical
Eg. Doge Pietro II Orseolo
- maintained friendships with leaders in Europe like the Byzantine and Germanic
rulers as well as the Muslim states in North Africa although there was enmity
between the Christians and Muslims.
- Put down the pirates in Dalmatia by cutting off salt supplies to cities controlled
by the pirates.
Impact:
As a result of the practical diplomatic relations, helped Venice remain peaceful
and stable in its early years of development.
-protected Venice independence and trade interests and helped Venice gain
favourable trade deals which boosted Venice’s wealth making Venice powerful
- Getting rid of piracy ensured safe trade passage for Venetian
traders and increased its wealth.
- Venice established its control over the important
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routes in the Adriatic Sea
2] forward-looking – anticipated changes in power developments in Europe
and seized the opportunities to build up the Venetian Empire
Eg. Doge Enrico Dandolo decided to capture Constantinople, the capital of
the Byzantine Empire when it was weakening in the 12th century although at
one point of time they had friendly relations
Impact:
-With this conquest and capture, Venice controlled some of the
important territories controlled by the Byzantine Empire which
were important for trade enabling Venice to rise.
-Venice gained recognition from other states for its conquest of
the once powerful Byzantine Empire. This helped Venice obtain
favourable trading terms
- Venice became the most powerful country in the region
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3] very enterprising – took steps to expand Venice as a major
maritime empire through conquests and control of important
routes in the Mediterranean Sea
Eg. Doge Pietro Ziani led many missions to conquer and control
important territories along the Mediterranean Sea to strengthen
Venice’s maritime trade in the face of increasing trade competition
Impact:
-As a result, this helped strengthen Venice’s maritime trade in
the face of increasing trade competition
-Venice trade expanded and it obtained more wealth that
contributed to its rise as a maritime empire.
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Doge’s Palace
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Reforms in the Government
- Reforms were introduced to the structure of the government
from the 12th century to:
A] Meet the needs of a growing city-state.
Eg. In addition to the Doge, Ducal Council and General Assembly,
the i] Great Council was created to:
- Elect capable members to all councils in the government
-Pass laws and settle disputes between different councils
- provide more opportunities for members from influential
families to participate in deciding Venice’s future so as to reduce
rivalry among the nobles that would destabilize the government
ii] The Council of Forty was created in the 13th Century to handle
law and finances as Venice grew
iii] 60 member Senate was added to handle foreign affairs and
trade matters because of expansion of trade and increased 23
Reforms were also made in the government to:
B] Ensure effective checks on power and to prevent concentration of
power
Eg I] Council of Ten was formed in the 14th Century to:
a] prevent corruption and abuse of power - any official, including the Doge,
found guilty would be arrested and plots to threaten the government would be
crushed.
II] The Nominating Committee was added to the election process to:
-identify suitable male candidates for elected posts through balloting not
favouritism to ensure fairness and to prevent any one individual or family from
gaining too much influence in the government.
- ensure no nominee could campaign for support to prevent rivalry among the
candidates and to ensure that the candidates were elected based on their ability
and not personal favour.
- ensure that elected candidates did not reject their appointments so that all
positions of responsibility in the government were filled up by the best
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candidates.
Impact:
- Fairness in selection and greater opportunities to
participate in governing Venice, prevented rivalry among
the nobles to serve in the government which could
destabilize the government
- checks on power avoided dominance by anyone person
- corrupt practices were checked and uprisings crushed
leading to greater confidence in the government and
support from locals and foreigners leading to peace and
stability
-Venice is stable and organised and this would lead to
increase in trade and wealth
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Trade
Developments and
Expansion
Industrial
Development
1] Shipbuilding
Industry
1] Venetians’ attitude towards
Trade
2] Innovations in Maritime
Technology
3] Efficiency in managing
trade voyages
4] Overcoming trade
competition
5] Trade Monopoly
Economic Reasons
for Rise of Venice
Innovative
and
Enterprising
Trade
Practices
2] Manufacturing
industries
1] Giro Banking
2] Double-Entry
Bookkeeping
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1] Attitude towards trade
a] Venetians were skilled diplomats and enterprising
-They were motivated by profits and they used their
diplomatic skills to obtain many favourable trading terms
from the countries they traded with like lower tax rates
-They were also enterprising and brought new products
from the East eg. spices from that were in demand in
Europe
Impact:
- Able to maintain a competitive edge over their
trade competitors like Genoa and bring wealth to
Venice
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?
1] Attitude towards trade
b] The Venetians were adventurous and courageous:
- ventured to distant lands to seek new markets
and supplies
eg. Marco Polo and family
- traveled north to Greenland, east to Indian Ocean and
south to Africa
- also went to Arab states and Far East to trade
Impact:
-able to find new opportunities and obtain profitable and exotic
trade items
- stayed ahead in the trade competition and Venice became one of
the greatest cities in Europe
- its connections brought traders from various countries to Venice
to trade boosting Venice’s wealth.
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Travels of Marco Polo
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2] Innovations in Maritime Technology
a] Venetians were adaptable
-Made use of advances in maritime technology to improve
navigation and defence in the seas
eg. made use of inventions of the compass and nautical
charts to conduct voyages in winter.
Impact:
-Able to dominate trade in the Mediterranean Sea throughout
the year giving it an advantage over its competitors
-Increased frequency of trade meant it could earn more
profits and become wealthy and thus powerful.
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Innovations in Maritime Technology
b] They were creative
-Designed and built the kind of ships they needed to conduct voyages over
long distances in harsh weather conditions.
Eg. they built ships that used both oarsmen and sails. Ships were thus not
dependent on wind alone to sail
-Built galleys in the 13th century which were both merchant and war ships.
The galleys were used for defence purposes when needed and could be used
to transport more goods for trade.
Impact:
- Merchant and battle fleets were able to travel further as the ships were not
dependent on wind to sail.
- Venetians were able to expand their trade and territorial control.
- Galleys in the ships discouraged pirates from launching attacks on Venetian
trading ships making the passage of Venetian traders safer
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3] Efficiency in managing voyages
a] Venetians were efficient.
-The Senate set up an effective management system
-Monitored and organised the schedule of trade voyages
- Grouped and ordered traders to travel in convoys to trade in
larger quantities for greater profits.
Impact:
- The efficiency of the system meant that Venice was able to
expand its trade into many regions and increase its profits
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4] Overcoming Trade Competition
a] Venetians were tenacious [Steadfast]
- Willing to fight many wars with their main trade rival Genoa to
defend its trade.
- Venice and Genoa often fought in the open seas and rivalry
between them led to many wars.
- Venice managed to defeat Genoa in the late 14th century
Impact:
- With Genoa’s defeat, Venice got rid of its main trade rival.
- This allowed it to have complete control of trade in
the Mediterranean Sea bringing them more international trade.
- With more wealth, Venice power grew.
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5] Trade Monopoly
- Venice was well located at the northern tip of the Adriatic Sea
- Central and Southern Europe depended on it for goods from the
East like spices, sugar and diamonds
- Venetian traders went to Arabian ports like Alexandria and
Hormuz using overland and sea routes to sell these goods to
other European states at a high price.
- The other European states had no choice but to buy from Venice
because its navy dominated the region
Impact:
- Trade monopoly helped Venetian traders earn huge profits
and allowed Venice to dominate trade in the area over its rivals
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Central and Southern Europe
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Innovative and Enterprising Trade Practices
- The Venetians had innovative trade practices that were
responsive to the needs of traders.
- There were large numbers of foreign traders – Venice focused
on trade services e.g. banking, insurance, money-exchange,
credit banking with giro-banking, state bank to avoid banking
from collapsing
Impact:
- efficient and convenient financial and insurance services
as well as government’s involvement attracted more
traders to Venice increasing Venice’s trade and wealth.
- Venice was able to keep up with the times due to
willingness to adapt to changes allowing it to remain
wealthy and powerful.
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Industrial Development
a] Manufacturing Industries
- Venetians were enterprising
- Diversified into manufacturing industries such as
glassmaking, candles and scented soap to meet the demand for
consumer goods as Venice prospered.
- Venice also diversified into the printing industry to serve the
large reading public
Impact:
-More jobs were created for the people and Venice continued to prosper.
-Skilled craftsmen from other parts of Europe came and settled in Venice
resulting in the growth of a variety of high quality manufactured goods
that Venice could sell.
- Venice continued to become powerful as its wealth increased through
diversification into manufacturing.
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Venetian Glassware and Printing
Industry
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Industrial Development
b] Shipbuilding Industry
- Venetians were adaptable and responsive to circumstances
of the times
Eg. Built the Arsenal so that shipbuilding industries like ship
design, outfitting, maintenance and production of galleys
could be centralised at one location.
Impact:
-The Arsenal became the backbone
of Venetian maritime empire
and power as it supported Venetian
voyages
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A view of an entrance of the Arsenal
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Venice At the Height Of Its Power [15th century] – A
Maritime Empire with:
1] Territorial Possessions
-Had many territories along the trade routes
- Territories were obtained from its defeat of the Byzantine Empire
and its defeat of pirates in the region
Impact:
- Territorial possessions allowed Venetian ships to stop over to
replenish supplies and acted as rest stations for crew
- Territories obtained from the Byzantine Empire helped Venice
strengthen its maritime authority in the Mediterranean Sea
- Defeat of the pirates gave Venice full control of the Adriatic Sea
- Venice therefore established its dominant commercial power and
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earned the title, “Queen of the Adriatic Sea.”
Venice At the Height Of Its Power [15th century] – A
Maritime Empire with:
2] Social Transformation
-Wealthiest state in Europe
- Venetian society became more diverse and cosmopolitan as a result
of the mass arrival of foreigners.
- Foreign traders and merchants were attracted to come and stay in
Venice as a result of the efficiency of trade
- Venice also provided incentives like housing and citizenship to
attract foreign talent to work and live in the country to sustain its
commercial activities in the face of labour shortage.
Impact:
- Venice became cosmopolitan and were able to attract highly skilled
craftsmen to sustain its development.
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Venice At the Height Of Its Power [15th century] – A
Maritime Empire with:
3] Artistic Achievements
- The skilled craftsmen and artists that came to work and live in
Venice helped transform it into a centre of the arts in Europe.
-Venice became famous for its mosaic art
Impact:
-Attracted rich nobles from other European countries to Venice to
admire the great works of art in the country
- This increased its reputation and wealth making it powerful.
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Venice At the Height Of Its Power [15th century] – A
Maritime Empire with:
4] Scientific and Literary Developments:
-Trade exposed Venetians to knowledge in other parts of the world and increased
interest in the sciences
- Nobles from other parts of Europe attended universities in Venice to learn more
about the sciences
- From the 14th century, the government provided funds to attract distinguished
professors.
- Academics from Venice were also sent to other countries to gain knowledge and
then share their knowledge
Impact:
-Venice developed into a centre of learning in Europe
- Attracted academic talent to Venice and increased Venice reputation as a centre
of learning.
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Venice At the Height Of Its Power [15th century] – A
Maritime Empire with:
5] Economic Prosperity:
-Skilled craftsmen were well paid in Venice.
- Guilds were created to ensure job security and high standards and
quality of the goods produced.
Impact:
-Venetian goods were of high quality and were in great demand
- The high demand led to increased trade and the Venetians getting
higher incomes and better standards of living.
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Venice At the Height Of Its Power – Artistic Achievements
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Venetian Ceiling Details
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Venice as a Centre of the Arts
- more time and money to spend on leisure
- famous for architecture, paintings and mosaic
- Giovanni Bellini: among earliest artists to use
oil painting in artwork
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Good Leadership
 Reforms in the
Government:
 to adapt to
changes
 Maintain checks
and balances

 Trade
Developments
Innovative and
Enterprising Trade
practices
Industrial
Development
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Europe between 15th – 18th C
Political Instability in Europe
- Conflicts among the states in Europe for greater
resources and territories as trade competition
increased.
The Black Death
- plague in Europe that killed many people and reduced
the population in Europe significantly
- Food production was also affected
Impact:
- Venice was faced with these new challenges in the 15th
century
- They did not respond well to the changing
circumstances and that led to their decline.
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External Factors
Internal Factors
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2] Maritime
Competition
1]Foreign
Threats
1] The
Ottoman
Empire
2]
Involvement
in the
mainland
External
Factors for Decline
of Venice
Discovery of
New Sea
Routes
New Trade Rivals
3] The League Of
Cambrai
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Foreign Threats
1] The Ottoman Empire
- The Ottoman Empire originated from Turkey
- Powerful in Middle East and North Africa and replaced Genoa as Venice’s
greatest trade rival by the 15th century.
- Expanded rapidly from the Middle East into Europe both by land and sea.
- Captured many of Venice’s coastal territories in the Mediterranean and
Adriatic Seas and launched attacks against Venetian ships and territories
from there.
- Venetians were forced to use their merchant fleet as naval ships to fight the
Ottomans
- Venetians fought many wars with the Ottomans to maintain their control
of the Adriatic Sea eg. Ottomans fought a 7 year war with the Venetians in
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the 15th century for control of the Aegean and Adriatic seas
Foreign Threats
1] The Ottoman Empire
- In the 15th century, the Venetians tried to strike a balance of
power with the Ottomans and their European neighbours at
the same time.
Eg. To protect its commercial interests, Venice would
give concessions to the Ottomans when necessary. Later, they
would get military aid from the European powers to fight the
Ottomans to defend their territories
- This insensitive action made the European countries resent
Venice and in 1463, they left Venice to fight on their own
against the Ottomans.
- Venice lost a very important Eastern trade outposts in the
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Mediterranean to the Ottomans.
Foreign Threats
1] The Ottoman Empire
Impact
- The use of the merchant ships as naval ships led to disruption of trade
leading to loss of profits for Venice.
- The long wars with the Ottoman Empire for control of the Adriatic and
Aegean Seas in the 15th century drained Venice’s resources and manpower
and disrupted trade leading to loss of wealth.
-Loss of coastal territories and the loss of the important Eastern trade
outposts in the Mediterranean to the Ottomans affected Venetian traders as
Ottomans imposed high tariffs on Venetian traders in the ports they
controlled. Venice’s trade profits and wealth were greatly reduced.
- Venice was greatly weakened.
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Ottoman Empire
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Foreign Threats
2] Involvement in the mainland
-Venice depended on the mainland territories for essential resources like
food and water.
- Venice needed to maintain these supplies for its growing population and
expanding industries.
- To protect its trade interests, Venice got involved in the political rivalry in
the mainland.
- It took advantage of the rivalries among the European countries in the
mainland by offering to help fight one against the other to protect its own
interests.
Eg. Venice switched alliances between large rival states like France
and Spain when the occasion suited its interests.
-Venice act of switching alliances with different rival groups in the
mainland caused these mainland countries not to trust Venice
- Venice therefore faced threats of being attacked by any of them.
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Foreign Threats
Impact
-Venice’s involvement in the mainland drained Venice’s financial and
manpower resources as it had to employ a mercenary army to fight its
battles due to is small population.
- It was constantly at risk of being attacked by larger states because they
distrusted Venice as it constantly switched alliances to suit their interests.
- Constant wars in the mainland also affected Venice’s overland commercial
routes as it made the overland trade route unsafe.
- Venice depended on these commercial crossroads for trade and wealth.
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Foreign Threats
3] The League of Cambrai
- Other states in the mainland grew jealous of Venice’s prosperity and
growing power and influence over Northern Itlay.
- They were also unhappy with Venice insensitive diplomatic relations in the
mainland.
- Decided to form an alliance in 1508 to destroy Venice and take over its
territories. This alliance was known as the League of Cambrai.
- It consisted mainly of major powers in Europe like Spain, Hungary and
France
- It defeated Venice at the Battle of Agnadello and captured many of its
territories
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Foreign Threats
3] The League of Cambrai
Impact
- With large states like France and Spain forming an alliance, Venice was
faced with a massive threat
-The cost of the wars with the League drained and weakened Venice resources
as it had to raise taxes to finance the employment of its mercenary armies as
well as to replenish its supply of weapons
-The defeat of Venice at Agnadello cost it to lose many territories and greatly
weakened its military strength.
- Although Venice managed to recapture some of its territories through new
alliances with some states, the cost of wars led a blow to its prosperity.
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League of Cambrai
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Maritime Competition
1] Discovery of New Sea Routes
- Many European states were exploring new sea routes for trade purposes.
The Portuguese Vasco Da Gama travelled round the Cape of Good Hope in
Africa to reach Callicut in India, a thriving spice centre – found new sea
route to India and the East.
-could bypass Venice-controlled territories to buy their spices directly from
India
- Portuguese captured key areas the East in Arabian Sea and Indian Ocean
Impact
- Venice monopoly of the profitable spice trade destroyed
- Portuguese provided competition for Venice and reduced its
profits which the Venetian traders had earned for centuries.
- Lost its important position as middlemen between the East
and the West
- no more the main sea power in Europe
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Discovery of New Sea Routes
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However, Venice was still able to survive economically
as:
- The Venetians were diversifying into manufacturing such as
glassware which were highly profitable and were in high
demand from both the East and West.
- Venetians were also creative and innovative in creating and
developing trade-related services such as banking and financial
services.
- Venice continued to function as a trade centre in the western
Mediterranean Sea and continued to be the main supplier of
Mediterranean goods such as wine, raisins and Persian silk to
cities like Lisbon in Portugal.
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2] Competition from New Trade Rivals
- Venice’s trade rivals during the end of the 16th century were
the English and the Dutch
- The British set up the English East India Company (EIC) in
1600. The Dutch set up the Dutch East India Company (VOC)
In 1602:
- The British and the Dutch successfully negotiated for trading
rights in new ports.
- They took the role of bringing goods from the East and
Middle East to Europe bypassing the Venetian traders
- The Dutch and the British had better-designed ships.
- Venice impose a protectionist policy by placing higher taxes
on foreign traders.
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Impact
-Venice position as an entrepot port was badly affected by
these new competitors
- Venice was able to imitate the design of the ships used by the
British and the Dutch but their sailors did not have the skills
to operate them.
-Venice protectionist policy in its ports did not attract traders
as it proved to be too costly to trade with the Venetians.
-Venice became less popular as a port of call and it began to
lose some of its trading partners resulting in economic losses.
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Political
Challenges
Corruption in
the
Government
Over-dependence on
Mercenaries
Social Challenges
Internal
Factors for Decline
of Venice
Complacency of
Venetian Society
Incompetent
Military Leaders
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Political Challenges
1] Corruption in the Government
- to finance wars with the Ottomans and the neighbouring
states, the Venetian government suspended the salaries of the
civil servants and placed higher taxes on trade.
- led to unhappiness among the nobles who formed the civil
service as they became poorer with the salary suspension as well
as disruption to trade during the wars.
- candidates to high positions in the government bribed poor
nobles to vote for them. Corruption became the norm in
elections
- Positions were also being sold to raise funds for the
government to fight wars.
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Impact
- The suspension of salaries caused resentment among the
nobility and led to division within the nobility classes.
- Bribery led to inefficient and incompetent leaders being
Elected to the government
-Incompetent leaders were more concerned with their own
interests than with the development of the city-state
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Political Challenges
2] Incompetent Leaders
- Venice faced the challenge of a shrinking pool of nobility as older
families died.
- There were fewer people to choose from to fill the highest offices.
-Noble families arranged marriages among themselves to retain
their wealth and property
-The rotation of duties to ensure no family or individual could
dominate the government also meant competent officers would
have to leave office after one term. Incompetent leaders may be
chosen.
-For Example:
The appointment of two capable men in the civil affairs as
Captain Generals in the Navy. They lacked military knowledge or
experience and Venice suffered great naval defeats under their
command. They were Nicolo da Canal and Antonio Grimani. 77
Impact
- With fewer people to take up positions, the quality of
leadership weakened
- As more power and wealth were in the hands of a few
families, they used the government as a tool to further their
interests at the expense of the interest of the city-state.
- A small group of rich nobles dominated the government from
the 16th century making renewal of leadership a challenge.
- Corruption was common in higher offices as power lay in the
hands of a few.
- Incompetent leaders or officers would not be able to plan and
implement policies to ensure Venice’s sustainable growth and
may even lead Venice to suffer heavy losses in battles.
-other states did not see Venice as a strong power anymore
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3] Over-Dependence on Mercenaries
-It was a common practice for Venice to hire mercenaries
mercenaries to fight their wars eg. with the Ottomans and
Genoa as it was a small country with many territories and a
small population.
- The Black Death had also taken many Venetian lives and so
there was a need to get mercenaries to fill the ranks of the army.
- Venice became over-reliant on these mercenaries to defend
their interests
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?
3] Over-Dependence on Mercenaries
Impact
- Led to increased expenditure as they have to pay high salaries
to the mercenaries to fight.
- The mercenaries lacked a sense of loyalty as they fought for
whoever paid them better.
- Some of these soldiers did not remain loyal to Venice and even
plotted against Venice.
Eg. In 1619, French mercenaries plotted to take the Ducal
Palace and kill the Senate members. Although the plot was
discovered, it showed that the mercenaries could not be trusted
to fully protect Venice.
- When Venice could not pay these mercenaries well when their
prosperity declined, the mercenaries offered their services to
other countries against Venice
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Social Challenges
1] Complacency of Venetian Society
- rich nobles indulged in fine living and became less involved
in administration and development of the city state.
- Gap between the rich and the poor widened.
- they lavished in countless parades and celebrations
- year-end party lasted for weeks
- poor and rich were involved in gambling lost their fortunes
- they were not willing to volunteer to serve state
e.g. in 16th century, government could not find volunteers to
serve in navy
Impact
- became easily distracted from daily duties and productive work
- committment level of people reduced drastically
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Eventual Decline of Venice
- 18th century: French leader, Napoleon wanted to
bring whole of Europe under his control
- Venice refused to join alliance with the Italian states
against Napoleon because it feared provoking the French
- when attacked by Napoleon, Venetian leaders did not resist
for fear of losing possessions
- 12 May 1797: 4,000 French entered Venice without
a gunshot being fired
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External Reasons
Internal Reasons
1 Wars with Ottoman
Empire
2 Involvement in the
mainland
3 League of Cambrai
4 Discovery of a New
Sea Route
5 Competition from
New Trade Rivals
1 Corruption in the
Government
2 Complacency of
Venetian Society
3 Incompetent /
Incapable Leaders
4 Over-dependence on
Mercenaries
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Lesson 1: Capable and Committed Leadership
Venice at its peak:
Venice in decline:
- leaders placed interest
above self
- capable and forwardlooking
- Responsive to threats and
challenges, adaptable to challenges
- leaders neglected responsibilities
- more concerned for self than state
- Corrupted and Inefficeint
What we can learn about leadership and
Governance here?
- good leadership today is not guarantee for the future
- we have to choose our leaders wisely
- we have to make sure we have the right leader for the
right job
- It is important to uphold incorruptability for leaders
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Lesson 2: Adaptability
Venice at its peak:
- Venetians were well
informed and had innovative
practices eg GIRO banking
- Diversified into manufacturing
- Used technology to stay ahead
of competitors and diversified
economy to stay competitive
Venice in decline:
- did nothing to keep up with the
times. eg followed own style of
shipping despite rise of VOC and EIC
- Could not come up with solutions to
the new sea routes discovered by their
competitors and came up with
unrealistic new laws that contributed
to their decline
What we can learn about Sustaining Economic Devt?
- important to adapt to changes taking place to stay relevant
- eg globalisation and Information Technology
- the quicker one adapts, the better the chance of survival
-Seize opportunities to keep up with changes
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Lesson 3: Good International Relations
Venice at its peak:
- Combined diplomacy and
deterrence effectively to get good
trading terms with other countries
while deterrence helped to end the
threat of piracy and subdue its
competitors to keep Venice safe
and secure
Venice in decline:
- involved themselves in the political
struggles in mainland Europe and made
many enemies
-Insensitive to their neighbouring
countries and played one power against
another
-Refused to work with other rising
countries like Portugal when they
discovered a new sea route
What we can learn about relations with other states?
- important to have friendly relations with other states
- competition would be there but a state should not
attempt to rise to power at the expense of another
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Lesson 4: Strong Defence Force
Venice at its peak:
- mercenaries served
Venice because they
were well paid
- Venetians fought for
the city-state
Venice in decline:
- mercenaries preferred
to serve other states
which paid them better
- Venetians more concerned for
self than state
- Venetians did not care
for state
What we can learn?
- better to rely on own citizens’ army than on others
- National Service is important
- all-rounded education like Total Defence is important
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Lesson 5: A Committed Citizenry
Venice at its peak:
- proud to be Venetians
- loyal to Venice
Venice in decline:
- complacent due to
past success
- cared more for self
than state
What we can learn?
- we must be prepared to make sacrifices
- must remain committed to the nation
- must guard against complacency
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Lesson 6: Sustaining Economic Development
Venice at its peak:
- people highly innovative
- took advantage of
opportunities in maritime
technology to expand its
economic development
Venice in decline:
-Failed to look at challenges
as opportunities
- Failed to respond to
competitions
What we can learn?
- the government must constantly seek out new
Opportunities for sustaining our growth to
Overcome competitions
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How does Singapore ensure that its leaders do not
abuse their power?
- there are opposition members in Parliament to question
- there are also nominated MPs to question the government
- CPIB keeps a close check on government officials
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What are some examples of Singaporeans’
involvement in the community?
Residents’ Committee
Self-help groups eg CDAC
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How does Singapore attract ships to call at its port?
By providing good customer service, efficiency in port
operations, and competitive pricing, among other things..
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How does Singapore attract foreign traders
and companies to start businesses here?
- provision of incentives to foreign investors
- ensuring stability with good political and
economic structures
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In what way is foreign talent important to
Singapore?
- they contribute to the economy with the skills they bring in
- provides opportunities for locals to learn from foreign
talent
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Why do you think National Service is important
in Singapore?
Singapore is an independent state which needs to
rely on itself for survival. National Service would
allow Singapore to build up its army, which would
act as a deterrence for any attempt to attack Singapore
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City-state
A state which is independent of its surrounding areas and
thrives in its independence. Usually, a city-state is small
in size but due to its economic and political vibrancies,
is able to make its presence known in the region.
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Nobility
A group of people within a state/country who are considered
the highest in the social class.
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Coastal territories
Territories along the coast or sea. These territories were
very important during the Middle Ages. If a state was able
to control the territories, the state would be able to dominate
trade.
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Overland trade route
Trade from the west to the east was very tedious during the
Middle Ages. Traders had to travel to the Middle East by
ship, transfer their goods to caravans and travel across the
Middle East to the East. They then had to transfer their goods
to another ship before sailing to India.
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Trade monopoly
This is a practice of dominating trade, especially to the East.
Monopoly was acceptable during the Middle Ages but naturally
it also brought about jealousy among the states.
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Mercenaries
A common practice during the Middle Ages was to employ
soldiers to fight for them. These soldiers are called mercenaries.
Mercenaries usually fight for states which pay them well.
However, there were mercenaries who remained loyal to the state
they were fighting for, for a long time.
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