I suggest you use django-mptt which offers easier to use method of recursively spitting the structure out, example http://django-mptt.github.com/django-mptt/templates.html.
In terms of the model itself you're just thinking of this in the wrong direction. Instead of.
I cant really gove you an answer,but what I can give you is a way to a solution, that is you have to find the anglde that you relate to or peaks your interest. A good paper is one that people get drawn into because it reaches them ln some way.As for me WW11 to me, I think of the holocaust and the effect it had on the survivors, their families and those who stood by and did nothing until it was too late.