Looking at Britain's bloody and often tumultuous history before its rise to power, it could not have been predicted that it would become the global leader of the 18th century. 18th century. Before the Treaty of Westphalia, which ended the Thirty Years' War, Spain and the Holy Roman Empire held much of the power in Europe. Only with the suppression of Catholicism and the development of national sovereignty did Britain have the opportunity to rise in the ranks. While much of continental Europe sought to strengthen its absolute monarchies and centralized style of government, in the 17th and 18th centuries Britain was making significant political changes that reflected the ideals of the Enlightenment. The first of the political philosophers was Thomas Hobbes who first introduced the idea that the monarch governed not by “divine right” but through the consent of the people. This was a radical idea with ramifications reflected in Britain's major changes to its government in the 17th century. Through a series of two violent civil wars between the monarchy and Parliament and the bloodless civil war known as the Glorious Revolution, Parliament was granted the authority to, in essence, “check” the power of the monarchy. The internal shifts of power in Britain and the astute foreign policy skills demonstrated by the English in much of the ongoing conflict in continental Europe can be attributed to England's rise to power. By the Glorious Revolution of the 17th century, England was already miles ahead of their European brethren. William of Orange and his wife Mary took the English throne after King James fled to France in the wake of his failed attempts to rule... middle of paper... to rule their local towns and were therefore motivated to pay taxes which eventually led to the strong military force and navy they were steadily building due to economic prosperity. Sir Robert Walpole is considered to be the first Prime Minister of Great Britain and while he was in power "the English state combined considerable military might with religious and political freedom" (The Western Heritage p 381) because he allowed his opposition to criticize him openly and its policies. Works Cited Glorious Revolution." The Columbia Encyclopedia, sixth edition. 2008. Encyclopedia.com. 7 February 2010. Hooker, Robert. "The European Enlightenment." The European Enlightenment. Washington State University, 6 June 1999. Web 07 February 2010. .The Western Legacy 10th ed.