The Second World War:

During the release of Casablanca, it was both set and made in the time period of the Second World War. Only being a year into the conflict, after the events of pearl harbour on December 7th 1941 where the US were surprise attacked at a naval base in Hawaii. The US joined the allied forces of Great Britain and Canada to fight against both Nazi Germany and the imperialist empire, Japan.

Due to the sudden attack on American people, many young and old men fit for fighting signed up to join the US forces. This can shown through Casablanca as towards the end of the film, Rick can be seen to show his contribution as an American to the war effort by sending resistance members, Ilsa and Victor to the United States to provide vital information to win the war.

Prior to this, on the 25th of June, 1940 France had fell to might of Nazi Germanys collected and modernised tactics. During the Nazis control over France, it was split into parts: the Nazi occupied North and the Vichy south, where the french government was allowed to remain but regulated and puppeted by Germany. Including the nation itself, its territories overseas were placed under german control. This included Morocco which at the time was under french control and wasn’t a country like today.

With the film ‘Casablanca’ named and set after a city in Morocco it would be impossible to have a locational film there under the circumstances of the War. This meant that filming of Casablanca was to be done in sets or in familiar locations in the deserts of Burbank, California.