To answer the question regarding the formation of states, it is necessary to clarify what constitutes a state; The Oxford English Dictionary defines a state as "a nation or territory regarded as a political community organized under a single government." There are a number of ways and processes by which we can analyze what state formation is, why they formed, and how it happened. The emergence of the state dates back to the creation of territorial boundaries in medieval Europe, such as the Peace of Westphalia in 1648, and its transition to a modern state can be attributed to the introduction of gunpowder in warfare (Hague & Harrop, 2010: 64). ). The formation of states was also influenced by the growth of bureaucracy, administration, and organizations. There are different theories as to why states form, some of which can be divided into the categories of rationalist, culturalist, and structuralist perspectives. In this essay, these perspectives will enter the debate in trying to justify why state formation occurs and how it occurs. The most salient feature of state formation appears to be the prevention and engagement of a state in war and its consequences. To examine what state formation is and how it occurred, the logical path seems to assess where they evolved from. The notion of state is a relatively recent concept, for example in 1555 there were only two national states, England and France. With otherwise the existence of disorganized and corrupt empires, federations and protectorates. It seems that states were formed despite the many obstacles facing their development. Not only did the challenges of securing the territory exist, but in the middle of the document...... 24 (2), 177.Braun, R. (1975), “Taxation, Sociopolitical Structure, and State- Building: Grande -Brittany and Brandenburg-Prussia', in C. Tilly (ed.), The Formation of National States in Western Europe, Princeton: Princeton University Press. Dwyer, P (2000). The rise of Prussia 1700-1830. London: Longman. 18-9. Hague, R. and M. Harrop (2010). Comparative government and politics. 8th ed. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan. 64. Moore, B (1967). Social origins of dictatorship and democracy: lord and peasant in the construction of the modern world. Harmondsworth: Penguin. 433-442. Simmons, A. John (1992). The Lockean theory of rights. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press. 127. Tilly, C. (1985). The making of war and the creation of the state as organized crime. In: PB Evans, D. Rueschemeyer and T. Skocpol Bringing the State back in. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 171.