“...but Paulus was treated quite well.”
Only after he became a converted Communist and started cooperating with his Soviet slave masters.
Not being critical, just saying.
At some point that’s right. But even initially, Paulus was treated with kid gloves by the Russians. He just got promoted to Field Marshall and they had never captured a German that high in rank before. He was their trophy prize and they didn’t want anything happening to him, including suicide. I’m not saying he had a great fate, but it sure beat that of his men.