The correct answer is: poor. They took vows of poverty, chastity and obedience.In principle, they lived by begging. Of course, there were always some who got round the rules and lived pretty well Incidentally, you are wrong to put your question in a past tense.
Friars are still very much with us. See: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Friar.
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.