What was the purpose of the Holocaust during World War II?

The Holocaust was primarily aimed at exterminating individuals considered undesirable by the Nazi regime, which included Jews, Roma, disabled individuals, LGBTQ+ people, and political dissidents, among others. This genocidal campaign was rooted in extreme anti-Semitic ideology and a belief in racial purity espoused by Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party. The systematic nature of the Holocaust included the establishment of concentration camps and extermination camps, where millions of people were murdered. This brutal goal of total annihilation distinguished the Holocaust from other wartime actions, such as relocating displaced persons or establishing labor camps, which did not carry the same intent of mass murder. The focus on extermination emphasizes the horrific and intentional nature of the atrocities committed during this period of history.