At one point in the story, Napoleon also encouraged the other animals to feel patriotic toward the farm. The reason behind this was so the rest of the animals would not rebel against him. This is extremely similar to the way that Richard III continuously played up the loyalty angle to dissuade people from questioning his intentions and his decisions. Ultimately however, this propaganda is only designed to keep the people "controlled" like the animals on the farm. Machiavelli would undoubtedly agree, but he would also encourage these characters to form wiser partnerships. According to Machiavelli, "A Prince should be careful never to join with one stronger than himself in attacking others, unless, as already said, he be driven to it by necessity. For if he whom you join prevails, you are at his mercy; and Princes, so far as in them lies, should avoid placing themselves at the mercy of others" (Chapter XXI).
In Animal Farm, the pigs ruled the farm because the other animals were naive enough to allow them to do so. They were all aware that if they were to defy the authority...
This is exactly why Machiavelli warns that you never join with one stronger than yourself when attacking others because you will be at their mercy. This is exactly what happened on the farm and the animals learned their lesson the hard way.
Actually the "don't rock the boat" mentality that the animals on the farm showed toward the pigs is what has kept oppressed people down for centuries. While both the animals on Orwell's farm and the people who helped Richard banded together and took action to promote supposed justice, both wound up in a similar situation to where they started. This is because both groups lived under the illusion that eliminating a central power creates equality, when in truth, all it does is open the door for someone else to step in and take over.
Works Cited
Machiavelli, Niccolo, The Prince, Harvard Classics, Web. http://www.bartelby.com/36/1/
Orwell, George. Animal Farm. New York: Penguin Books, 1946. Print.
