I think the biggest reason why you got a low GPA was because you lost your confidence. In fact depressed or people with low self esteem either tend to have really high grades or really low grades because they either throw themselves into their work or they throw themselves into something else as a means of escape. Sounds like youre in the latter group.
If you want to be successful you have to stop thinking about your past and stop letting little or big setbacks deter you, I know its hard but you have to have to emotional resilience thats why people do well in school not because they were smart but because they were focused and in order to be focused you have to be emotionally strong and ignore the voice inside that says you cant. Watch this video you could use some motivation. Https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GwfhH8yD...
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.