>>21599
>Controlling wasnt a viable option without treating USSR minorities very well

They mostly were treated well (except Belorussians who suffered much), considering "well" in war situation of course. Soviet minorities were overrepresented in collaborationist army. Although it was not ideological thing but practical - many minorities were anti-soviet and had own nationalist sentiment, so they were great tools against USSR, and often voluntarily acted against Soviet forces without German support.

For example, few Caucasian nations were deported because they openly supported Germans and were very bad as soldiers for Soviets. There were mass deportations, almost everyone was taken into train in few days and moved to Kazakhstan or Siberia. Stalin was Caucasian himself and knew how to work with them.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deportation_of_the_Chechens_and_Ingush

I heard stories from Kazakhs and Russians who lived in 50-60s in Kazakhstan (until Caucasians returned back) and they weren't happy about their new neighbors though.

People often don't understand that war and conditions on eastern front were much more harsh than in other places, so levels of good or bad treatment couldn't be compared to, for example, France or South Europe, where Germans were much more friendly to everyone.