I'll probably write more after I've had time to sit with it for a bit.
I did want to... Clarify? Add?
I've come to realize most of my impressions of Russia (and probably other American impressions) are from movies like Hunt for Red October, The Russians are Coming, and more.
And we blend Russia and the Soviet Union together a lot, for obvious reasons.
That is to say, when we think of Russians we tend to think of them as white. But the Soviet Union covered quite a bit of territory, including Tartars and some of the various -stans (like Kazakhstan before it left the USSR). They're strongly influenced by the Mongols... And other groups I'm sure I have no idea about. My understanding of Central Eurasian history is not the greatest.
Anyways, the point is that given how horribly we Americans lump different people together we'd probably call them Asian.
I'm not sure how much Nazi racism played a role in what happened (Hitler allied with Japan, and a cursory search gives me the impression that since they were useful he didn't stir up sentiment against all Asians as much as he did other ethnic groups, but it's hard to believe they thought of them as true equals).
The eastern front definitely seems more brutal and inhumane, at least compared to what I've read about the western.
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