Why is kneading important in breadmaking?

Cinnamon roll

I finally succeeded in baking bread today! Finally, after 2 failed attempts in the past. The first time I ever tried baking bread was two years ago. I failed miserably that I turned my back against breadmaking. However, last week, I decided to give myself another chance. Unfortunately, I failed again! Desperate to taste success, I gave it another try this afternoon; I paid more attention to the process this time. After careful scrutiny, I came to the conclusion that the reason why I failed in my previous attempts was because I did not knead the bread properly! This is a very crucial step in breadmaking!

And so, you are probably asking, "Why is kneading important in breadmaking?" 

Flour contains proteins including gliadin and glutenin. When water is added to the flour and the mixture is kneaded, gliadin and glutenin are released. These two proteins combine to form gluten strands. As kneading continues, the gluten strands are stretched, making the dough supple and elastic. Kneading will also enable more efficient trapping of the CO2 molecules the added yeast released. When CO2 molecules are trapped, the dough will rise; and your bread will become softer.