An analysis is offered of the evolution of state organizations out of the conjuncture of violence, and from that starting point attempting to understand the Military-State relationship, in terms of autonomy and the Nation-State shaping process. By means of a bibliographic review limited to the work of classic and modern authors having dealt with the European experience, the inclination to autonomy of the military was examined by taking into account the State and the Nation-State shaping processes in the modern Western world. As a result, it was found that the shaping of the modern Nation-State was an unexpected effect of the civilization process that took violence away from society by confining it to the barracks and organizations such as the Military Forces and the Police, and gave origin as well to the creation of institutions oriented towards improving the living conditions of citizens.