Ian - good post - can't wait to see hte fully formed version!
As to German "expansionism", lets look at the Allies:
Holland: Indonesia, Suriname, the Antilles, (Aruba?)
Belgium: the Congo, Rhuwanda, Berundi
France: French Indo-China (Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam), French Guiana, many islands, part of Turkey, part of the Congo, French Algiers, Chad, French concession in Shanghai, Syria, Lebanon, Togo, Cameroon, Madagascar, Central African republic, Gabon, Tunisia, Benin (as Dahomey), Burkina Faso (as Upper Volta), Cote D'lvoire, Guinea, Mauritania, Niger, Senegal, Morocco, Martinique. France was THE SECOND LAEGEST EMPIRE in the world at the time.
Great Britain: Canada, Australia, India (including modern Pakistan), many islands, Singapore, Hong Kong, Falklands, South Africa, Much of the former Ottoman Empire, esp in North Africa, Celon, Malaya, Scottland, Ireland, Wales - the LARGEST empire - covering a quarter of hte world's land mass and ruling a quarter of hte earth's population.
Sovier Union/Russia: Half of Poland (helping set off WWII with their German partners), Finland, the Ukraine, and by war's end, the Kuriles, North Korea, North Vietnam, Eastern Europe.
The United States: Hawaii, Cuba, The Philipines, many islands.
In light of that, the agument that we HAD to go to war against Germany because it was "expansionist" is laughable.