At a first guess I would say you make some updates to the GUI within your class. Due to the fact that everything works fine on a button press your task runs within the GUI thread and can access everything there without any problems. If you outsource your task into its own thread you don't have direct access to the GUI.
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.