Historical Abstracts is the major database for history related articles on topics other than the United States and Canada (see America: History and Life for this). You will probably find this database very helpful as you search for the historical background information on your topic. Here is a reminder of the many ways that you can control and limit your searches in order to get the best results.
Jstor is an excellent full text archive of humanities, social science and business journals and includes a large number of history journals.