I sort of agree with you, but not quite. The Russians sacrificed A LOT of their own people to beat the Nazis. The weather, terrain, and German leadership disagreements had a lot to do with it. That being said, Russia really won the war with the Eastern Front and yes the Americans showed up late.
The Russians didn’t beat the Nazis because they were particularly good, unfortunately. They had home field advantage, winters were terrible, and Russia was willing to sacrifice anyone necessary to win. They fight differently over there.
Let’s be cautious in assuming that all paywalls protect labor.