Explain which groups of people were affected by the Holocaust and why the Nazis targeted them. (4 points)
1. Jewish people: The primary target of the Holocaust was the Jewish population, who were considered by the Nazis to be an inferior race. Hitler's ideology of anti-Semitism led to the systematic persecution and extermination of six million Jews in concentration camps.
2. Roma and Sinti people: The Nazis also targeted the Roma and Sinti people, who were considered to be racially inferior and part of a "criminal race." They were subjected to forced sterilization, imprisonment, and extermination in concentration camps.
3. Disabled individuals: The Nazis targeted disabled individuals, including those with physical and mental disabilities, as part of their eugenics program aimed at creating a "pure" Aryan race. Thousands of disabled people were forcibly sterilized or euthanized under the T4 program.
4. Homosexuals: Homosexual individuals were considered by the Nazis to be degenerate and a threat to the purity of the Aryan race. They were persecuted, arrested, and imprisoned in concentration camps where they faced harsh conditions and often died from starvation, disease, or execution.
Overall, the Nazis targeted these groups of people based on their racist ideology and desire to create a homogeneous Aryan society. They believed that by exterminating or marginalizing these groups, they could strengthen their vision of a racially pure German nation.