Start your long running operation from the form itself rather than before the form is created. Remember that Application.Run() starts a message loop on the current thread, but that means you can use that message loop to poll your task from the Timer class.
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.