system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
ELI5: Why do soldiers bother taking POWs?
gpt
In addition to laws and conventions, it's also a tactical decision.

If you're a soldier, and you know the enemy are about to overwhelm you, you have two options. Surrender, or go down fighting and take a few more of the enemy with you. 

If you know the enemy is likely to accept your surrender and take you prisoner, you're probably a bit more likely to go with that option. By taking prisoners, armies save the lives of their *own* soldiers, too.

There's a story that during WWII, German parents would tell their children to surrender to Americans, because they take prisoners and treat them well. Much safer than actual fighting.