re: Having a hard time getting into Dune

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I felt like they needed to explain how the Baron broke him down if these people were seen as unbreakable and why were they seen as unbreakable? What made them that way? So he caused the murder of thousands for a chance at killing the Baron? Still not satisfied but appreciate the explanation.

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The book hints that, while Imperial Conditioning is nearly impossible to break, it is still not as strong as the bonds that the Bene Gesserit conditioning can create. Yeuw's wife was BG who conditioned her husband in at least some of the BG ways, and the Baron remarks to the doctor that the conditioning was bent by having him watch his wife tortured with Piter's "pain amplifiers". This conflict drove the doctor to insanity and the urge to kill the Baron as a result.

Yeuw also may have rationalized his betrayal because he knew that, with both the Emporer and the Harkonnen allied against Atriedes, Leto would lose regardless. He tells Leto, "You were dead anyway". At least his betrayal would give a chance to kill the Baron as opposed to someone else being bribed/threatened etc.