England

Edward III (1327-1377)

Edward was already well liked when he became king. He was strong, handsome, and charismatic. He swift, competent action against Mortimer had won even more friends. He got along well with the great magnates and naturally consulted them, which in turn drew them closer to him. His good relations internally, along with great success in war, and his long reign, make Edward III one of the great medieval English kings.

manuscript
Effigy of Edward III

The civil wars, along with the arbitrary depredations of Edward II, had left many titles lapsed or in confusion. Edward III moved quickly to restore duchies and earldoms to their rightful owners. He also created several new ones to give to his followers. Very quickly, too, increasing tensions with France served to quiet dissent and to bind the upper nobility all the more closely to the crown.

His first military foray was against Scotland. While he won a victory in 1333, he was never able to recover what had been lost at Bannockburn. The 14th century was the heyday of Scottish rebels. The war with France meant that England was unable to do more than hold its ground against the Scots.

I treat the Hundred Years' War separately, so I'm not going to cover that here. The important thing to note here is that Edward was immensely successful in the 1340s and 1350s, leading to a truce that lasted (rather imperfectly) until late in his life. When it began again, England suffered minor but steady losses, leaving Edward increasingly isolated and bitter in his old age.