You could try using some of the similarity functions with handpicked synsets, and use that to filter. But it's essentially the same as following the hypernym tree - afaik all the wordnet similarity functions use hypernym distance in their calculations. Also, there's a lot of optional attributes of a synset that might be worth exploring, but their presence can be very inconsistent.
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.