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What I found when I searched a couple of days ago were comments that nation states, as such, didn't really kick off until the 1500s. At that point I stopped looking. But there were major changes in the late 1400s that perhaps led to the formation of the Renaissance.

The biggest event that happened in the 14th Century was the Black Death, the Plague. In Britain there were Plagues from 1348-1351, 1361-64, 1368, 1371, 1373-75, and 1405 [Link]. The Plagues wiped out 30 to 50% of the European population (some say as high as 60 percent). That would have had a major effect on trade, allegiances, etc.

The following article interestingly says that the population that survived were much healthier than those who lived before the Plague, as the Plague weeded out the weakest. This would have meant that the resulting population would have contained a substantially bigger proportion of mature adults (and thus a more productive population) by the end of the 14th Century than before. Link.

Here is an excellent description of what happened and the changes the Plague wrought on almost everything [Link]. In line with the increasing number of middle aged people, it also appeared to have brought about the middle class of people instead of just the nobles and the poor feudal peons/serfs.