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This racialization allowed the Wehrmacht to treat Soviet POWs with unprecedented brutality: of 5.7 million captured, 3.3 million died in captivity—a mortality rate of 58%, almost entirely justified by the Untermensch doctrine.

If a group is not considered "human," then the traditional moral codes—such as "thou shalt not kill"—no longer apply. Propaganda outlets like Der Stürmer and the infamous 1942 pamphlet titled Der Untermensch portrayed these groups as animalistic, diseased, or demonic. This psychological conditioning was essential to convince ordinary citizens and soldiers to participate in, or ignore, the horrors of the Holocaust and the brutal treatment of prisoners of war on the Eastern Front. The Historical Consequence: The Holocaust and Beyond untermench

The term "Untermensch," translating to "subhuman" or "inferior human being," was a propaganda tool employed by the National Socialist German Workers' Party (NSDAP), commonly known as the Nazi Party, to dehumanize and justify the persecution of certain groups during the Holocaust. This concept played a pivotal role in the Nazi's racist and anti-Semitic ideology, which systematically stripped individuals of their dignity, humanity, and ultimately, their lives. This racialization allowed the Wehrmacht to treat Soviet