noun
historical background; historical context
Refers to the social, cultural, and historical circumstances surrounding an event, work, or period.
この小説を理解するには、当時の時代背景を知る必要がある。
To understand this novel, you need to know the historical background of that time.
映画の時代背景は江戸時代だ。
The historical setting of the movie is the Edo period.
背景 is a broader term for 'background' (visual, situational, or figurative), while 時代背景 specifically refers to the historical context of a particular era.
Compound of 時代 (jidai, 'era, period') and 背景 (haikei, 'background').