Case 1: If you are creating this control just to be consumed in your application then you can go ahead and create a ViewModel for it, but then you don't need to create DP's, your ViewModel can just implement INotifyPropertyChanged and your parent Vm can still bind to them.
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.