I hope it isn't so, but it seems that you not yet understand the lifecycles in what your web-app lives. In your case you have 2 lifecycles, because you have 2 actions. 2 request/response-scenarios.
You have to understand, that (mostly) all the stuff you do in an action, it stays in there. Your database-session of the action "index" is another as the one in "commitSession", because of that, that session in "commitSession" is empty. Why?
Because you just commit a newly created session.
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.