Povijest #11: Doba prosvjetiteljstva: 18. stoljeće

After the 17th century, which was marked by economic crises, religious wars, plagues and intolerance, the 18th century began to justify the name "modern era" that the period from the discovery of America in 1492 to the French Revolution in 1789 bears. The modernization of life is manifested in rapid industrialization, the development of science and technology, the organization of work is changing, but also traditional social profiles and private relationships.

Undeniable signs of modernity appear in the language of politics and theoretical debates: questions about democracy, constitutionalism, human rights and the role of public opinion arise. However, the consequences of the difficult previous century are still felt. Most of all in the system of international relations, in the form of the wars for the Spanish, Polish and Austrian inheritance and the Seven Years' War in which several countries and their colonies clashed. New powers, Russia and Prussia, appear on the European international scene in this century.