Is 1 and 2 needed to understand 3?

I have both Assassin's Creed 1 and 2 but struggled to play through both (they just didn't capture me) but 3 intrigues me and I'm willing to give it a shot. Does anyone know if this game plays off any sort of backstory from 1 and 2 that would make them beneficial to play, or is it entirely standalone?