It can be a helpful category of analysis because some of World War II was driven by the Nazis' persecution of people based on race. However, the Nazis also persecuted people based on other factors, such as religion and mental ability. In addition, the Allied powers were less concerned about race and much more concerned about issues of nationality (such as the British) and economics (such as the USA). So, race could be a useful category to help us understand WWII, but it does not offer a full understanding of WWII.
