During the Middle Ages and the Ancien Régime, the form of political organization in Europe was the hereditary monarchy, sustained by the feudal mode of production. Inside these monarchies, political power were scattered through several political centers, with their own laws and relative administrative autonomy. Society was hierarchically organized, with almost none social mobility. This kind of political organization was radically changed by the Enlightenment idea of “social contract”, which stated that political power were transferred from the people to the monarch, who, since then, ruled definitively as the unique source of rights and obligations, therefore, centralizing the political and legislative power in the king himself. Although, the king should guarantee a certain level of individual freedom, being the social contract limited by this goal.
The Germans invaded Belgium which allowed them to attack France from the North. If successful, the Germans would move their armies East to fight Russia, avoiding a two front war.
The structures of absolute monarchy and the authoritarian state [the Christian Church], who were the dominating sources of governance and learning, were attacked by Enlightenment philosophers, who thought that reason will lead to general and absolute truths. The excesses of both institutions were the basis for this critique.
Answer: It important because The Articles of Confederation served as the written document that established the functions of the national government of the United States after it declared independence from Great Britain.
