Published in 1896, the Elementi di Scienza Politica gained immediate and broad recognition as a masterpiece of political theorization following the general course set 400 years before by Machiavelli. Mosca perceived that the manner in which ruling classes renew their membership has a vital signifigance for the prosperity of nations. His conception of social forces and of the rulers who acquire the power to control them served as a theoretical foundation for Italian fascism.