I understand your analogy but believe it to be falacious. Hitler professed expansionism beyond traditional borders and occupied the Sudetenland, the Rhineland and invaded Poland as part of Lebensraum. Putin full well understands the necessity of a warm-water port and desires to maintain the Crimea for Sevastapol. He may incur into the Ukraine but he is far to intelligent to take on NATO, even if he thought he could win initially. He knows that he would eventually lose and lose big. Too much at stake so he will allow natural political processes to occur and provide the populace with enough incentive to join (even if those incentives are negative).
Putin is a patriot. Love him or hate him, he loves Russia and as former KGB, he loved the Soviet Union and as such, probably desires a return to many aspects of it. That is troubling for the West but to those of us who spent a career studying it, understand where he is coming from.
Putin has the mantel of power and likes it, his is not one to throw it away on trivial matters (geo-politically speaking) and will bide his time. Obama is far to weak to do anything of substance against over actions of expansionism, but Putin knows where to push and where to allow natural assimilation.
Hitler laid out his plans in Mein Kampf, it was clear for all to see who would only look.
Has Putin done any such thing?
I think the analogy is good, but not perfect. You yourself point to one big analogy, that Putin loved Russia (and HItler loved the Fatherland).
Some of the differences you pointed out are valid, but it’s still a fairly apt analogy IMO.
Nice summary .. thank you, sir.