The 17th century marked a turning point for absolutism in Western Europe. The early part of the century was spent fighting the religious wars known today as the Thirty Years' War, which lasted from 1618 to 1648. Cardinal Richelieu, prime minister of King Louis XIII, managed to maintain absolute authority over France during the war. Unlike Richelieu, King Charles I of England was not as successful and struggled with his parliament. While France continued to prosper under this absolute monarchy, England slowly began the transition to constitutionalism. Fear of population growth within religious groups started a very long war throughout Europe, mainly in modern Germany. The Thirty Years' War, which began in 1618, can be divided into four phases. The first phase between the Catholic League and the Protestant Union began in Bohemia. Holy Roman Emperor Ferdinand II was determined to eliminate the Protestants from Bohemia, causing them to rebel against the Catholics. The Protestants were unsuccessful and were defeated in 1620 at the Battle of White Mountain. Subsequently, King Christian IV of Denmark joined forces with England and France in defense of the Protestants. His Allied forces invaded Germany during the second phase of the war, but were defeated twice in 1626, at the Battle of Dessau Bridge and the Battle of Lutter. The Treaty of Lübeck, signed in 1629, dissolved relations between Danes and Protestants, ending the second phase of the war. Fearing growing power within the Catholic Habsburgs, King Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden took matters into his own hands, beginning the third phase. He defeated the Catholics at the Battle of Breitenfeld in 1631 and died during... middle of paper... France and Parliament concluded that his departure was a renunciation of the spear. Parliament then invited Mary to become queen of England and she accepted on the condition that William of Orange would also be king. This short series of events ended in 1689 with little bloodshed and began the necessary changes towards constitutionalism, then considered the Glorious Revolution. After the Glorious Revolution, Parliament formed the English Bill of Rights, marking the end of the Absolute Monarchy. The Bill of Rights set limits to the crown's authority and outlined the rights of Parliament. It allowed freedom of speech, to vote for administrative positions and gave Parliament the right to appeal against the sovereign's decisions. John Locke's Second Treatise on Civil Government had a huge influence on the creation of the English Bill of Rights.