Final answer:
The Nazis targeted Skokie, Illinois, mainly because of its large Jewish population. They used Jews as scapegoats, blaming them for economic and societal woe, which was a tactic consistent with the antisemitism prevalent in Nazi Germany and throughout European history.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Nazis targeted Skokie, Illinois because it had a large Jewish population. The fascists in Italy and Germany, led by figures like Hitler and Mussolini, sought to exploit prejudices and blame societal issues on convenient scapegoats, which often were the Jews.
They leveraged the economic and social problems of the 1930s to stir up resentment against Jews, who were successful in various professions and seemed to have benefited from industrialization.
Despite their involvement in all walks of life and various economic standings, Jews collectively became the victims of Nazi propaganda, which dehumanized them and led to their systematic persecution during the Holocaust. The antisemitism that fomented under the Nazis was part of a longer history of Jews being used as scapegoats during times of crisis.