The book is set against the historical backdrop of rising authoritarianism and political instability in the 21st century, but Albright situates her analysis within the broader scope of the 20th century, particularly the aftermath of World War I and the rise of fascism in Europe. She draws clear parallels between the conditions that enabled fascist regimes to take power in the 1920s and 1930s and the current global political climate. Albright emphasizes that fascism thrives in times of economic uncertainty, social unrest, and political fragmentation, all of which are present today in varying degrees.

The most famous example of 20th-century fascism is Nazi Germany. Fascism in Germany arose partly out of the conditions created by the Treaty of Versailles. The Treaty of Versailles, ratified in 1919, was a treaty to bring a formal end to World War I (1914-1918). The Treaty was controversial because it excluded Germany from the settlement negotiations and ended up placing the blame for the conflict entirely on Germany; the terms of the Treaty forced Germany to pursue disarmament and exacted heavy financial reparations. These conditions created widespread economic hardship in Germany throughout the 1920s and into the 1930s, which placed the Weimar Republic (1918-1933) under an enormous strain.