The main reason, as I understand it, is for the sound.

Earlier Baroque period violins had a less extreme neck angle and a lower bridge.  But as the violin became popular as a featured instrument for larger orchestras and bigger halls it needed more volume/power.

The higher bridge and more extreme neck angle of the modern violin allow for a greater percentage of the energy from the vibrating/bowed string to reach the top.   Without going too much into the physics and math involved, we can say that the more acute the angle made by the string where it passes over the bridge, the more power will be transmitted down the bridge to the main amplifying surface of the sound box and the less that will be directed towards the ends of the string, which are not the main parts of the instrument designed to acoustically amplify sound.

So primarily it was an evolution/adaptation to allow the instrument to have greater power/volume.

But it also affects the timbre of the instrument by enhancing the frequencies in the 4khz to 6khz range which gave the newer design more brightness.

Increasing both the dynamic range (volume) and the timbral spectrum (the ability to make a given pitch sound brighter or darker) allowed the violin to effectively compete with a horn or flute in the orchestra in terms of power and presence.  But it also is what gives the violin such a versatile voice, once one learns how to control it. 

That wide range of sound is both what makes the violin sound so interestingly like the human voice in the hands of an expert player, and what makes it so easy to sound frighteningly awful when you first start out.  LOL

So while your reasons are good ones, so far as I know the change was actually done purely for enhancing the sound.

If you listen to a Baroque period violin, with the less acute angle you may note it is mellower and the sounds of the notes is somewhat less distinct.  If you got back another stage in the evolution to the vielle, which was even flatter where the strings pass over the bridge and also usually lacked the soundpost you may note that it is even quieter, and less of a "stand out" quality on the sound.

Hopefully this helps a bit with what you were wondering about, drabbit.

I am not entirely sure why the higher bridge or more acute angle where the strings pass over the strings does that, drabbit.  I've seen it mentioned as a general principle and also was told it when I asked why the changes were made from the baroque violin to develop the modern design. 

I haven't been studying the design and functions of the violin long, only maybe a year, since I've been playing violin about a year and a half.  Perhaps one of the more experienced folks will know that one. 

However, the different points of the evolution are fun to listen to..

.. I picked those particular examples since we can see the instruments actually are different, and not just the style of playing.  All quite likable, and I would say played well in all cases.  But the sound is rather different.