I'm going to disagree with you. The controller knows nothing about the view, only the model. The view model, IMO, should be a simple container just as it is in the tutorial.
It's the controller's job to fill up the container with data and pass it off to the view.
I may be wrong but you seem confused about how viewModel is constructed. The code is doing exactly what you described.
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.