By the time Hitler's Nazi Germany invaded Czechoslovakia, WWII was inevitable. This is because the supposed "Great Powers" of France and the UK dithered and did nothing when Hitler marched a mere 6,000 troops into the Rhineland. The supposed "Great Powers" dithered again when Hitler's Germany annexed Austria. This perpetual spineless appeasement told Hitler he could act with impunity. It's also worth noting that in the USA Roosevelt made endless windy speeches but avoided taking any real action until after German declared war on the USA. Even the bombing of Pearl Harbor by Germany's legal ally Japan did not induce Roosevelt to actually do anything at all about Germany and if Hitler had remained silent, the USA would not have interfered in his conquest of Europe. Unfortunately, we learn nothing from history and so Putin has correctly surmised that we're too spineless, stupid, and complacent to pose any lasting obstacle to his recreation of the Russian Empire. WWIII is thus assured.