This clip has a few assumptions which don't necessarily correlate with historical opinion. To suggest the reason for World War II is Hitler's 'madness' - as in a medically diagnosable condition - is quite ridiculous. Can you say leading Germany to war was the act of a madman, while writing off all the skilful steps that he took to gain and consolidate his power? Surely this shows that in many things he was of sound mind… And what ‘madness’ are we even speaking about? If you look at Hitler's madness on Wikipedia, then you come across numerous people who diagnose Hitler with every medical condition under the sun. Yes, Hitler was prone to depression, ranting, stomach pain. Yes, he did (from accounts) endure hysterical blindness at the end of World War I, and we could also suspect him to suffer similar conditions to others such as post-traumatic stress. But to suggest that these conditions could lead to him to want war ignores what is publicly said, the context of the times and the events that Hitler perceived Germany to have endured.

So let's look at the actual theory behind why Hitler wanted war…

Autarky leading to a need for resources

Hitler extensively covered the concept of autarky in Mein Kampf. Germany’s capitulation had been, in part, due to the Allied blockade between 1914 and 1918. Food supplies to Germany had been cut off, and approximately 600,000 people died of starvation or disease. If Hitler wanted to fight another war, then he would need an effective policy of autarky in order to prevent another blockade across the north of Germany. Planning for this process suggests that Hitler -already- wanted war, and autarky was a step in taking him to that process. Hence, you cannot conclude that autarky was the reason he went to war, if he was already on a path to war when he decided to implement it.

Yes, when Hitler decided to go to war resources were, and would be, an issue for Germany. In order for Hitler to achieve his military ambitions of security and future expansion of the Reich, Hitler needed resources, or solutions to deal with a lack of resources. Each massive cruiser, battleship or U-boat required steel, tyres for trucks required rubber. Planes, boats, tanks and trucks would all require petroleum or diesel to run. If Germany wanted to sustain and enhance its armaments during a war, they would need to ensure they had sufficient supplies.

Hitler would say: ‘[Germany] in regard both to food and to the economy as a whole, could not be maintained. Germany’s problem could be solved only by the use of force.’

This is in line with the quote you have provided, the idea that autarky's failure drove Germany to war. However, this quote is in 1937, Hitler is already on a path to war, and as historian Richard Evans writes: 'autarky was designed to prepare Germany for a lengthy war'. Note that the focus is on fighting an effective campaign, not the reasons for the campaign. If you knew that your autarky policy was failing, and you were not in a position to go to war for a sustained period of time, would you then commit to it? (this relates to the point later about Hitler not wanting all-out war in 1939) So to consider autarky the sole reason for the war is to adopt a very narrow historical viewpoint.

The overheated economy argument

This is a theory that has been heavily debated by historians, with Timothy Mason being the leading exponent. The concept is complex but can be simplified to: the mass investment Hitler had placed into rearmament had been conducted under the MEFO bill system. This overstimulated economy would become a problem due to declining living standards, overpaid employees, and lessening stimulus - which would likely produce some form of recession. To counter this, Hitler opted for war, which would continue the need for production and hopefully bring in greater territories.

In the 1980s, Mason and Richard Overy held a series of debates over this theory. Overy was a fan of the theory that Hitler wanted a short, small war in Poland and not a worldwide conflict (discussed a bit later). The winner of the debates… well, its history. I’ll let you read them and be the judge. What we can conclude is that the economy was enduring difficult times by 1939, and it could have been the reason Hitler led the country to war. As Overy points out, however, what we cannot conclude, is that Hitler actually knew the state of his economy at an in-depth level, and this shaped his thinking on going to war.

**I'm not into economics too much, so if anyone wanted to flesh this information out, then please feel free.

Hitler's Weltanschauung

There is a very simple explanation for why Hitler went to war in 1939 - he wanted it (although you could argue that he -eventually- wanted it. This was the culmination of a variety of reasons, whether economic, military or other, but it was also because this was the choice that he had made. Hitler had taken Germany on a path to war since 1933.

Mein Kampf provides evidence of Hitler's desire for lebensraum.

'Truly, this earth is a trophy cup for the industrious man. And this rightly so, in the service of natural selection. He who does not possess the force to secure his Lebensraum in this world, and, if necessary, to enlarge it, does not deserve to possess the necessities of life. He must step aside and allow stronger peoples to pass him by.’

The policy was loosely defined, only occupying 7 of 700 pages in Mein Kampf. It was tied to ideas such as the eradication of Communism, social Darwinism and antisemitism. Hitler saw it as a struggle not just for territory, but also for life. Tied into Hitler's policy of lebensraum were the ideas of Aryanism and racial prejudice. He believed that the Aryan race was stronger, and would overcome and consume other races.

Like many of Hitler's ideologies, lebensraum would evolve through the 1930s, but we -can- start to see a desire for war in the 1920s. This desire stems from the end of the first world war. The Dolchstosslegende (Stab in the Back Myth), the November Criminals, the harsh conditions of the Treaty of Versailles - particularly territorial adjustments, reparations and the restriction of armed forces - these had all lit a desire for revenge in Hitler, a desire to retake what Germany had lost at the hands of Jews and foreigners. In short, what led to Hitler's desire for war was the immediate issues that dominated the Weimar Republic in the post-war period.