World War II happened primarily because of aggressive actions of Hitler. And Hitler had expressed from time to time his desire and his promise to German people to dominate the world. For example in his autobiography Mein Kampf, published in two volumes in 1925 and 1927, he stated his plans to conquer much of Europe. He promised to recover territories lost in World War I and to add Austria and parts of Czechoslovakia where Germans lived to Germany. He also spoke of seizing living space from Poland, the Soviet Union, and other countries to the east.
Other indications of Hitlers desire of dominating the world are his claim of racial superiority of German people, naming Germany Third Reich.
Hitlers words were very much matched by his actions. He started his expansionist program much before start of World War II. He undertook vigorous program to increase the military strength of Germany from 1933 onward. In 1936, Hitler sent troops into the Rhineland, Hitler troops invaded Austria in 1938 and made it a of Germany. Then he secured consent of France and Great Britain consented to occupation of the German-speaking areas of Czechoslovakia. He took control of the rest of Czechoslovakia also in March 1939.
Hitler wanted to take over Poland also, but Britain and France took action to guaranteed Poland's independence. In August 1939, Germany and the Soviet Union signed treaties of friendship which among other things divided Poland between Germany and the Soviet Union and promised the Soviet Union other territory in eastern Europe. This was clearly an attempt by Hitler to take support of Soviet Russia against France and Great Britain, before launching a major offensive against them.
From all these facts it is very clear that Hitler's desire for world domination was a major cause of starting and extending World War II.
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