It basically means that there is a lull, a period of complete calm, before something really drastic happens. It almost happens in anticipation of a "storm" hitting. Everything can be just lovely one minute...and then the next minute all hell breaks loose.
Litterally it means that before a big storm, everything gets calm. Almost like Earth is expecting something bad to happen. It's kind of eerie, actually.
Metaphoraclly, it practically means karma. Like you might have done something that made you really happy, but because of that calm, something bad is going to happen (the storm). It's really sad, actually..
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.