The issue about France being targeted or not by nuclear weapons in the Twilight War has been frequently argued on this site and others for years. I can remember arguing about this online on the old 2300AD sites nearly 20 years ago. Nobody could ever agree because there is no direct canon reference to France being targeted by nuclear weapons in any sourcebook, or at least no one has so far come across it or a list of French nuclear targets. Two main conclusions were reached. The first is that France was not targeted by nuclear weapons, and the second was that France was lightly targeted by nuclear weapons, i.e. some oil refineries and nothing else. I support the first conclusion.
From your quote from Twilight 2000 1st Edition Core Rules, Page 26
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ewan
In V1 Referee's Manual page 26 it mentions that in 1997 that major industrial and oil centres in neutral countries had been attacked with nuclear weapons. Then in the entry for 1998 "In Europe, France and Belgium had been hit the lightest and stood virtually alone in maintaining a semblance of internal order throughout the cataclysm". The second edition has "France was still subjected to nuclear attacks to deny its port and oil refining facilities to NATO".
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This quote is from two separate paragraphs (separated by four paragraphs in fact) with different contexts. Although it could be implied from this that France was targeted by nuclear weapons, it doesn't specifically state that France was hit by nuclear weapons or does it give a list of French targets either. Other references to France from this book and other SB imply that France survived the nuclear war in very good shape. If it was targeted by nuclear weapons this would not be the case.
The way I look at it is through French reactions before, during and after the nuclear exchanges.
In 1996 France withdraws from NATO is response to German Reunification through a West German military invasion of East Germany.
From RDF SB. Page 15
"The French regarded the West German invasion of East Germany as lunatic. When the American, Canadian, and British troops crossed the East German frontier in support of the West Germans, the French were among the most vocal opponents of the move and were the first to officially withdraw from NATO, and declare their neutrality."
After this and before the nuclear exchanges France does not cooperate in any way with NATO.
In 1997 there is no direct reference to France being targeted by nuclear weapons. If France was targeted then you would expect the French who are a nuclear power to retaliate against whoever attacked France. As far as I know there is no canon reference to the French using any nuclear weapons against the Soviet Union or NATO. The British who have a similar sized nuclear arsenal to France and who were attacked by Soviet weapons, did retaliate against the Soviet Union with nuclear SLBM's and also launched a nuclear airstrike on the Kola Peninsula in 1998. Why did France not attack the Soviet Union with their nuclear arsenal?
In 1998 the French invade Germany and the Netherlands
From Going Home SB, Page 29
"In January 1998, the French government authorized its army to occupy all territory west of the Rhine to secure a solid geographic barrier and guarantee its frontiers against the hordes of refugees and renegade military personnel which were swarming across the border. In 2000, the French army continues to occupy this area."
If France was attacked by Soviet nuclear weapons you would expect the French to have rejoined NATO and send their army into Germany to support NATO against the Warsaw Pact. But they invade and occupy the German Rhineland the whole of the Netherlands south of the Rhine River. Germany and the Netherlands are NATO countries
In the summer of 1998 they send a fully equipped army Corp with air and naval support to the Middle East.
From RDF SB. Page 8
"On August 24th, the lead ships of a French troop convoy sailed into Al Kuwayt Harbor. Their cargo was the 9th Marine Division. Two days later, forward elements of the French 11th Airborne Division began landing in Djibouti. The French government made it clear that these forces were there to assist the host governments in maintaining order."
From RDF SB. Page 19
" The governments of Kuwayt and Saudi Arabia gave permission for France to station troops in their countries (to the chagrin of some Americans in the region). The Paris government responded quickly and by fall of 1998, the 9th Marine Infantry Division and the 2nd Brigade of the 11th Airborne Division were in the region along with supporting elements. There they have remained, providing a visible symbol of France's commitment to the stability of the region"
The French were in remarkably good shape to send a force of this size to the Middle East if they were hit by nuclear weapons. Also France didn't side with either American or Soviet forces in the Middle East, playing a strictly neutral role in the fighting. If either the U.S. or the Soviet Union had attacked France with nuclear weapons you would expect the French to be fighting either of them in the Middle East.
Also..
From RDF SB. Page 19
"In 1998 the Franco-Belgian Union was formed, Senegal and Djibouti became member nations"
France has now created a new power bloc in Europe and Africa, and by default with other French territories in Latin America, the Caribbean, the Indian Ocean and the Pacific, that is separate or even rival to NATO and the Warsaw Pact. For me this implies that France was not targeted by nuclear weapons. In regards to Sweden I have not seen any direct reference to a nuclear attack on Sweden either.