During World War II, the ethical and legal standards for medical practices were often not followed, particularly by the Nazi regime in Germany. The Nazis conducted medical experiments on prisoners in concentration camps, including experiments involving sterilization, infectious diseases, and high-altitude flight. These experiments were conducted without the consent of the prisoners and were often lethal. The Nuremberg Trials, which took place after the war, resulted in several Nazi doctors being convicted of war crimes for their involvement in these unethical medical experiments.

In addition to the unethical medical practices of the Nazi regime, there were also instances of unethical behavior by medical professionals in other countries during the war. For example, some doctors and nurses in Japan’s biological warfare unit, Unit 731, conducted experiments on prisoners of war, including vivisection without anesthesia.

Overall, the ethical and legal standards for medical practices were not consistently followed during World War II, and there were many instances of unethical and illegal behavior by medical professionals.