While I am not familiar with your jetty issue, I do know that you can use your own servlet container instead of GWT's servlet container by using the -noserver flag. It works great and allows me to use any other server while in hosted mode.
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.