LA SERENISSIMA: The Most Successful Nation in History

By YouveBeenGreeked | Some Random Thoughts. | 14 Jun 2025

In the grand sweep of history, when people discuss the most successful states, they often mention the Roman Empire, the British Empire, or the Mongol conquests. These were vast, mighty, and influential, but often short-lived or prone to internal chaos and eventual collapse. By contrast, one state, small in size and population, stands as one of the most quietly remarkable political entities the world has ever known.

From 697 to 1797 AD, this small Republic survived over 1,100 years. In that time, it defied invading Franks, Byzantines, Crusaders, and Ottomans. It became a naval powerhouse, a global trade empire, a cultural beacon, and, most impressively, a model of internal stability without tyranny. Even in its fall, it did not collapse from within, but was self-dismantled because of the threat of a direct invasion by Napoleon.

The state in question: La Serenìsima Repùblega de Venexia: the Most Serene Republic of Venice.

So, what made Venice so successful? And more importantly, could its system offer a template for modern governments?

1. Stability Without Autocracy or Populism

Venice struck an elusive balance: it avoided both the instability of mob rule and the stagnation of hereditary monarchy. Power was distributed across multiple institutions:

The Doge (elected for life) was constrained by laws and advisory bodies.
The Great Council, composed of noble families, held legislative power.
The Council of Ten acted as an early intelligence and emergency body, overseeing internal threats.

The key was collective decision-making with built-in checks and balances, designed not to reflect short-term popularity but long-term prudence. While not democratic by today’s standards, it ensured accountability, restraint, and endurance.

Lesson: Modern governments, even in democratic settings, could benefit from institutional diffusion of power and mechanisms to prevent both authoritarian overreach and populist volatility.

2. Pragmatism Over Ideology

Venice did not adhere to grand, rigid ideologies. It was driven by what worked. From adopting Arab navigational tools to borrowing Byzantine law, the Venetians were adaptive, not dogmatic.

Lesson: States today often become gridlocked by ideology. A Venetian-style ethos of pragmatic, apolitical governance can help governments respond more effectively to changing circumstances.

3. Intelligence with Restraint

The infamous Council of Ten oversaw threats to the republic with remarkable efficiency. It functioned much like a modern intelligence agency. Yet it operated within limits set by the broader political structure.

Lesson: Every state needs a robust internal security system, but it must be embedded in transparent oversight and legal boundaries. Venice shows how such balance can be struck.

4. Investment in Culture, Trade, and Innovation

Venice was a hub of music, art, architecture, and literature. It was also a pioneer in financial institutions (such as early banking and marine insurance), and its Arsenale was one of the earliest mass-production centres in the world.

Lesson: Government success is not only measured in military strength or GDP, but in the flourishing of human potential. Venice invested in what made life richer, and reaped the returns over centuries.

5. Avoiding Internal Collapse

Unlike most states of its time (and even many today), Venice never succumbed to civil war, peasant revolts, or military coups. Its systems were designed with continuity and cohesion in mind, even as it evolved slowly over time.

Lesson: Long-term state health depends less on charismatic leaders and more on resilient, self-correcting institutions.

What Shouldn't Be Copied

Of course, Venice was not a utopia:

It was an oligarchy, with power limited to noble families.
It excluded women, minorities, and commoners from political life.
It permitted slavery and stratified its society deeply.

These must be discarded entirely in a modern context, but its structural achievements could be translated into inclusive, democratic equivalents. If it's been done before, it can be done again.

Final Thought

Every modern government, no matter how large or small, could benefit from studying the Republic of Venice—not for its conquests, but for its mastery of longevity, stability, and pragmatism.

- John Locke

If governments today focused more on resilient institutions, restrained power, and civic cohesion, rather than transient ideology or brute force, they might achieve what Venice did: over a millennium of peace, prosperity, and pride.

But the world could go further than this: imagine if each local government in the world - whether it be every US state, every UK county, every Russian Federal Subject - adhered and took lessons from arguably history's most stable, secure and rich per capita state.