The institution of the state, as it exists in our time, has a number of properties that we take for granted. The state is a corporation in the original sense of the word - it has its own legal personality, distinct from the personality of the rulers; includes the government apparatus and the totality of citizens (subjects), but does not coincide with either one or the other; has clearly defined boundaries and exists only if recognized by other states, etc. But an institution of this kind is a rather late phenomenon in the history of mankind, and there is no reason to consider it eternal. Martin van Creveld, a famous Israeli historian and military theorist, describes the process of the birth, ripening and flourishing of the corporate state. A significant part of the book is devoted to the crisis of this institution, which is happening before our eyes. The reason is the state’s loss of legitimacy due to its inability to fulfill its obligations to maintain law and order, protect against external threats and provide the population with “social benefits.” The decline of the state may, in the foreseeable future, lead to a radical transformation of the entire modern world. The book will be useful to politicians, public and government figures, philosophers and historians, military experts and security specialists, as well as anyone interested in the fundamental problems of our time.