Sometimes someone may ask for advice and still continue on their own path, despite the advice provided but you can still be a good friend and listen and also just by being there. It is always said that the best lessons in life are learnt through experience and maybe your friend has his/her own personal journey to go through. Some lessons in life are towards a better future, through self realisation.
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.