The Black Death, an epidemic of bubonic plague that had spread over the whole of Europe, had arrived in England in 1348 and killed as much as a third to half the population.

English military conflicts during this period are usually with domestic neighbors such as the Welsh, Irish and Scots, and include the Hundred Years' War against the French and their Scottish allies.

Notable English victories in the Hundred Years' War include Crécy and Agincourt.

The final defeat of the uprising led by the Welsh prince, Owain Glyndŵr, in 1412 by Prince Henry (who later becomes Henry V) represents the last major armed attempt by the Welsh to throw off English rule.