There may be parallels but there are also such huge differences that I cant really buy into that comparison. Most of all before WW2 no one had nuclear weapons. It's a difference that can't be underestimated. You may think that Putin is a lunatic but you can be sure that above all he cares about his own survival. So why should he do anything that could provoke a 3rd world war? The moment that there's an open war with NATO... He knows that he's a dead man.

Moreover, Russia is in no position to fight against let alone occupy any NATO country. They couldn't even occupy half of Ukraine so far and they've lost so many troops. Yes they're trying to build a war economy but Russia has no population that's expendable. They're already in a deep demographic crisis and this war will only cripple their economic outlook for a long time to come.

I really don't see how Russia is supposed to pull of the Hitler playbook. Putin would risk everything without a prospect of success. They'll keep fighting in Ukraine and continue their hybrid FUD war but that's all there is.

[–] laverabe@lemmy.world 2 points 6 months ago

I don't think Russia will militarily invade NATO (at least at first). All he needs to do is install enough puppets like Hungary and Belarus to weaken the alliance, and an axis of dictatorships (Russia, China, and Iran) could then overtake the west.

[–] Rose@lemmy.world 1 points 6 months ago

Why would he be dead? As with the Prigozhin mutiny, he'll just fly somewhere away from Moscow and hide in a bunker, which could be in central Russia or near China.