Dějiny novověku pro SŠ - učebnice – Hroch Miroslav

Anyone who asks about the historical roots of the modern world begins by studying the period when Europe transitioned from a traditional agricultural society to a civil, industrial one. The transformations that occurred between the 16th and 19th centuries are unparalleled in the history of mankind. They also included the gradual emergence of a single world made up of interconnected continents. Therefore, understanding the changes that Europe and the world underwent during the period we refer to as modernity is fundamental for comprehending the present. Without this knowledge, it is impossible to assess the place of our national history in broader developmental contexts. What changes will we track in this textbook? Primarily, they were changes in human life. People who were bound by the commands of the nobility and the oversight of the church gradually asserted their independence and initiative. Many learned to become entrepreneurs, while others sought the most advantageous employment for themselves. In place of non-economic coercion and serf obligations, a system of wage labor, typical of a capitalist economy, gradually prevailed. The new system of division of labor also allowed for the rapid application of inventions: machines and new sources of energy...