Even Hitler didn't start out thinking he'd begin a world war. He thought German dominance (and "lebensraum") would only be gained in the long term and that he would only start the process himself at first. Gradually he got emboldened because the western powers let him take more and more. If one is to believe Kershaw's account, Churchill's lesson of appeasement being the problem definitely rings true. Hitler didn't even start out thinking he was to be a leader...

Chamberlain's words about thinking he could trust Hitler to keep his word also remind me of Bush talking about getting a sense of Putin's soul...