[Perdogg]

True, but even Tolkien said in the intro that people should not make historical interpretations.

[Tax-chick]

You can't match LOTR and related material up with historical events, and you can't match it up with any particular religious system. I've been reading The Silmarillion to some of my sons (8, 10, 12), and it's interesting to observe the elements that correlate with Christianity, as well as elements that are more similar to various European mythologies.

I think he made a point of not matching things up. That would have been boring.

[Nepeta]

True, but even Tolkien said in the intro that people should not make historical interpretations.

He said he detested allegory. I believe the trench warfare of WW1 was the template for Mordor.