Lasting from 1250 to roughly 1500, the Late Middle Ages were a period of upheaval for Europe, with centuries of prosperity and growth coming to a halt, replaced by a series of famines, plagues, large scale wars, and social unrest.

Historians often talk about the Late Middle Ages as a time of crisis for European stability, with the 14th and 15th centuries seeing the population of Europe cut by half or more. Even the monolithic Roman Catholic Church, a pillar of stability in the previous centuries, began to unravel with schisms weakening the religious unity of Europe.

Among the major events of the Late Middle Ages, the Black Death left the deepest marks on the people of Europe, eclipsing the already near apocalyptic famine that struck two generations prior. Combined with long term conflicts like the Hundred Years War, it caused a large-scale economic decline. Worse, endemic hunger and debilitating diseases reduced the productivity of the remaining workforce, amplifying the problems at hand.

But in this grim landscape were also laying the foundations of great changes to come. The toil of the plague made land plentiful and labour more valuable, leading to the empowerment of the peasantry in Western Europe. Following peasant uprisings cemented a less repressive approach to class division in France and England, and the practical end of serfdom in many kingdoms. Warfare also changed, with feudal levy being gradually replaced by professional retinues of soldiers, as well as the more common use of mercenaries. War was now the business of permanent armies and well-trained troops, with foot soldiers taking a more and more important role in combat, and knights distinguishing themselves by furthering the importance of chivalry.