High Middle Ages · Europe · War

1165

Anglo-Welsh war of Owain Gwynedd

1165

Henry II led an English army into north Wales to punish Owain Gwynedd's raids on the border. Caught in torrential rain on the Berwyn Mountains, Henry's army was forced to withdraw without fighting, and Owain maintained his independence for the rest of his reign. The failed campaign demonstrated that even the most powerful king in western Europe could be defeated by Welsh terrain, weather, and guerrilla resistance.