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In the early 7th century, the Eastern Roman Empire (Byzantium) had significantly depleted its strength through fierce wars with the Sasanian dynasty. Starting in 602, Persian forces occupied Syria and Egypt, and Byzantium struggled to defend its capital, Constantinople. Emperor Heraclius, who ascended the throne in 610, reorganized the military and finances and launched a counteroffensive. He boldly attacked the Persian heartland and achieved victory at the Battle of Nineveh in 627. However, immediately after the war concluded, the Islamic forces rapidly grew in Arabia. From 634 onwards, Arab armies invaded Syria and Palestine, plunging Byzantium into another large-scale conflict. Exhausted from the prolonged Persian wars, the empire found it difficult to secure sufficient troops and finances, and the new war began to unfold in a completely different manner than before.

The end of the Wars of the Roses can be seen not as a single event that resolved all conflict with one battle, but rather as a gradual process of concluding various claims to the throne and rebellions. The defeat of Richard III by Henry Tudor at the Battle of Bosworth Field in 1485 was a crucial turning point. Henry VII symbolically demonstrated reconciliation between the dynasties by marrying Elizabeth of York, and he suppressed the last major Yorkist challenge at the Battle of Stoke Field in 1487. Henry VII expanded royal authority by strengthening royal finances and administration and restricting the private armies of the nobility. Although there were subsequent pretender incidents, large-scale noble civil wars like the Wars of the Roses did not occur again. Henry VII pursued policies to readjust the relationship between the crown and the nobility and reduce the potential for rebellion. The Wars of the Roses went beyond a mere change of English dynasties; they became a catalyst for the transformation of medieval aristocratic politics and served as a vital backdrop for understanding the politics and society of the subsequent Tudor era. After 1485, England moved towards establishing stronger royal power under a new dynasty.

The Wars of the Roses began as a contest for the throne between the House of Lancaster and the House of York, but numerous noble families and regional powers participated in the actual conflict. Alliances were not fixed, and nobles frequently switched sides based on political interests. Key battles during the war included St Albans, Wakefield, Towton, Barnet, Tewkesbury, Bosworth, and Stoke. The repeated changes in the throne undermined royal authority, and the private military power and political influence of the nobility were significantly highlighted. However, it is inaccurate to view the war simply as a civil war where all of English society was divided into two factions. The regions where battles occurred and the participating forces varied over time, and there were also periods of peace. After Henry VII ascended the throne, the strengthening of royal finances and administration gradually limited the independent military actions of the nobility. The Wars of the Roses significantly altered England's political structure in the 15th century, providing the historical backdrop for the Tudor dynasty to consolidate centralized royal power.

After winning the Battle of Bosworth, Henry VII sought to stabilize his reign by pursuing reconciliation with the Yorkists. He achieved a symbolic union of the two royal houses by marrying Elizabeth of York, the daughter of Edward IV. This marriage carried the political significance of ending the long-standing conflict between the Lancasters and the Yorks. Henry VII expanded the central government's authority by restricting the private armies and private wars of the nobility and strengthening the royal finances. However, in 1487, Lambert Simnel claimed to be a figure from the House of York and instigated a rebellion, supported by some Yorkist nobles. Henry VII defeated the rebels at the Battle of Stoke Field. The Battle of Stoke Field is generally considered the last major battle of the Wars of the Roses. Although pretenders to the throne emerged later, they did not lead to large-scale civil wars. Henry VII laid the foundation for the Tudor dynasty by utilizing political marriage and managing noble factions. In this process, the Wars of the Roses transitioned from military conflicts between various families to a political order centered on royal authority.

Henry Tudor was distantly related to the House of Lancaster, but his claim to the throne was not strong. His assertion was primarily based on his maternal lineage and the political support of the Lancastrian faction. After securing support from France, he landed in England in August 1485. At the time, Richard III sought to block Henry's advance by mobilizing nobles from the north and midlands. The two sides clashed on August 22nd on Bosworth Field. Although Richard's forces had an advantage in troops and equipment early in the battle, the attitudes of some nobles during the engagement proved decisive. Richard attempted to attack Henry directly but was killed in action. Henry Tudor emerged victorious, was crowned Henry VII, and established the Tudor dynasty. The Battle of Bosworth is one of the most famous battles of the Wars of the Roses, symbolizing the end of the House of York and the beginning of a new royal line. However, even after the battle, not all nobles immediately pledged their loyalty. Henry VII had to consolidate his royal power and control potential rivals.

Upon the death of Edward IV in 1483, his young heir, Prince Edward, ascended the throne as Edward V. As the king was a minor, his uncle, Richard, Duke of Gloucester, assumed the role of regent, and a power struggle within the royal family began. Richard ensured that Edward V and his younger brother Richard were protected in the Tower of London, after which the two princes' claim to the throne became a contentious issue. A claim was made that the marriage of the king's parents, Edward IV and Elizabeth Woodville, was invalid, leading to the two princes being declared illegitimate. Parliament recognized Richard's claim to the throne, and he was crowned Richard III. However, as the two princes subsequently disappeared from public view, suspicions and opposition to Richard's accession grew. In the same year, the Duke of Buckingham led a rebellion, but it failed, and he was executed. Richard III attempted to maintain his royal authority, but his political foundation was unstable. Seizing this opportunity, Henry Tudor of the House of Tudor, connected to the House of Lancaster, prepared to challenge for the throne and gathered military forces from France to march on England.

In 1471, Edward IV returned to England and launched a military campaign to reclaim the Yorkist throne. He defeated the forces of Richard Neville, Earl of Warwick, at the Battle of Barnet, where Warwick was killed. Later that year, the Lancastrian army, led by Margaret and supported by France, landed in England but was defeated by Edward's forces at the Battle of Tewkesbury. The death of Edward of Westminster, the Lancastrian heir, in this battle effectively shattered the direct succession line of Henry VI. Henry VI soon died in the Tower of London as well. This dealt a significant blow to the Lancastrian organized attempts to regain the throne, and Edward IV's reign was further strengthened. Edward's sudden death in 1483 reignited the succession crisis, this time with his brother Richard at the center. While the war temporarily tilted in favor of the Yorkists, the dynastic conflict was inevitable. This solidified Yorkist rule for a time, but internal royal conflicts and noble rivalries persisted.

After Edward IV ascended the throne, England began to establish a new order under the House of York. However, royal authority was not yet stable. The Lancastrian faction continued to resist, centered around Henry VI and Queen Margaret, and also utilized support from Scotland and France. Although Edward held a military advantage, competition among the nobles was also severe. Notably, Richard Neville, the Earl of Warwick, played a significant role in Edward's accession, but their relationship soured as the king strengthened his independent power. Edward's marriage to Elizabeth Woodville also disrupted the balance of noble politics. Warwick joined forces with disgruntled factions and launched a rebellion, even capturing Edward at one point. Ultimately, the conflict between the two men escalated to a point where reconciliation was difficult. In 1470, Warwick joined hands with his former enemy, Margaret, to try and restore Henry VI to the throne. With the so-called 'dynastic reversal,' the Wars of the Roses entered a new phase. However, Edward soon prepared a counterattack and returned to England.

In 1460, the Yorkists returned to England, defeated the Lancastrian forces, and captured Henry VI. Although Richard, Duke of York, died at the Battle of Wakefield, his son Edward had a strong foundation to claim the throne. After winning the Battle of Mortimer's Cross in February 1461, Edward marched on London. In March, the Lancastrians won the Second Battle of St Albans, but it did not reverse the strategic momentum. In the same month, Edward fought a large-scale battle against the Lancastrians at the Battle of Towton and emerged victorious. Towton is considered one of the largest battles of the Wars of the Roses and significantly weakened the Lancastrian faction's military base. Edward was crowned Edward IV in London, and Henry VI and Margaret subsequently fled north. The Lancastrians continued their resistance centered in the north, but it was difficult to muster forces of the same scale as before. Remnants of the Lancastrian faction continued to resist in the north and border regions, and military pressure and political reconciliation were used to stabilize royal authority.

In 1455, the conflict between Richard, Duke of York, and the Lancastrians escalated into armed confrontation. On May 22nd, the Yorkist forces marched north from London and clashed with the Lancastrian army at St Albans, winning the First Battle of St Albans. The deaths of key Lancastrian nobles in this battle gave the Yorkists political dominance. Henry VI fell under Yorkist influence once more, and Richard became deeply involved in the kingdom's governance. However, the Yorkists' seizure of power did not end the war. Queen Margaret and the Lancastrian nobles began to regain their strength, and both sides alternated between temporary truces and renewed conflict. In 1459, armed clashes intensified again, and the Yorkists suffered a defeat at the Battle of Ludford Bridge, forcing them to temporarily leave England. Yet, the Yorkist power was not entirely extinguished. With the emergence of Richard's son, Edward, the focus of the war began to shift to a new generation. Both sides claimed royal legitimacy, but in practical politics, the loyalty of the nobles and military strength determined victory or defeat.