If I was in that scenario, I would be more emotionally charged about the subject and rightfully so. But that doesn’t rewrite the facts of the situation- that this distinction is correct.
Misunderstanding your enemy is never a good idea, as it’s important to know what makes them tick. If they were all compliant fascists, that changes what kind of tactics are used to break their morale and even have a portion surrender, compared to being conscripts who don’t even believe in what they’re fighting for.