Vito Corleone's Subtle Maneuvers: Veiled Peace and Trojan Sons

In the world of The Godfather, strategic maneuvers often involve veiled peace and seemingly innocent gestures veiled with dark intentions. Vito Corleone masterfully uses his intellect and years of experience to achieve his goals, often leaving his adversaries in the dark. This is particularly evident in the peace conference scene, where Vito engages in a game of deception and brinkmanship, much like the Trojan horse strategy.

Context and Background

In the novel by Mario Puzo, there is a reference to the Tattaglia family's losses, with an implication that the Corleones orchestrated the death of the Tattaglia son as part of their ongoing conflict. However, the film The Godfather, while alluding to these events, leaves them somewhat ambiguous. The film primarily focuses on the immediate consequences of Sonny's death and the broader implications for the Corleone family.

The Veiled Peace Conference

At the time of the peace conference, Vito Corleone is genuinely trying to broker an agreement to get Michael Corleone back in one piece. However, his efforts are complicated by his precarious position. Tom and Fredo cannot take his place, and the remaining families are seen as potential threats. The Barzini family, led by Lucien Barzini, comes close to taking out Michael, but misjudges his true value.

Barzini's Misjudgment

Barzini sees Michael as a civilian, someone who wants nothing to do with the family business. He mistakenly believes that Michael's worth lies in his naivety, thinking that he would easily be controlled and used as leverage. If Barzini had known of Michael's true worth and abilities, he would have been more inclined to pursue a conflict with Vito to the bitter end.

A Soft Spot for Michael

Vito Corleone, aware of his son's true value, still has a soft spot for Michael, his favorite son. This makes him more malleable, but also gives him the opportunity to use Michael in ways that others do not see coming. Vito's pragmatic approach is rooted in the understanding that Michael can be a powerful asset, capable of handling situations that others fail to see through.

Vito's Deceptive Tactic

As Vito meets with the other heads of the Five Families, he strategically positions himself to lodge the problem of Sonny's death back onto the Barzini family. He creates an equivalence by saying, "Tattaglia lost a son and I lost a son," suggesting a mutual suffering. This statement highlights the commonalities between the two parties, reinforcing the idea of peace and shared loss.

Smuggling in a Trojan Horse

Vito is pulling a dubious trick, akin to the Trojan horse strategy, by bringing his son Michael to the peace conference. Michael is portrayed as an empty suit, a college boy called home during a family crisis, with no knowledge or interest in the family business. He is, in essence, a Trojan horse, an unexpected weapon that none of the other families can see coming. This tactic is designed to keep the peace conference afloat and to maintain the facade of unity and sincerity.

Implications and Aftermath

The peace conference is not just a meeting for truce but also a coronation for Lucien Barzini, who has stayed above the fray and is seen by others as a consummate businessman. This is a parallel to the transition from a time of war to a time of peacetime prosperity in America, where the mob takes advantage of the new economy, providing entertainment, controlling labor, and investing in legitimate business pursuits.

Reflection on the Era

As the 1940s gave way to the 1950s, America experienced a shift from a wartime economy to a time of unparalleled prosperity and peace. This period, known as the Golden Age of the United States, marked a new era of hegemony, where the American way was synonymous with progress, innovation, and stability. In a similar vein, the Barzini family represents a new, more refined approach to the mob's activities, aligning their strategies with the new economic landscape.

The use of the Trojan horse in the peace conference is a testament to Vito Corleone's genius, a strategy that blends deception, manipulation, and opportunism. It is a reminder that in the world of the mafia, true peace often does not exist, and conflict is a constant, unpredictable element.

Understanding the Trojan horse, Vito Corleone, peace conference, and mafia tactics can provide valuable insights into the intricate dynamics of power and control in the criminal underworld.