[headquarters]

All of the following is speculation - as in keep with this thread as a whole :

I dont see the French - the only effective goverment in Europe and the defacto power - as wanting to destabilize any neighbouring countries.

Having neighbours that are under control by warlords that are unstable or unpredictable would not be in Paris interest .

Installing goverments that they know will want o keep the French on their good side is of course a natural response.

Call it self serving to do so or just plain logical .The French will have the opportunity to support limited goverments in Germany,possibly Britain and certainly BeNeLux countries by 2000.

To argue that the French would do so as part of an evil scheme to gain supremacy ( that they already have in T2K) would be overlooking the fact that the economic development based on French support of material and arms would grow to ensure this on its own .No need for a nefarious plan , the neighbouring countries will grow to love the French and do their bidding like Western Europe after the Marshall plan.

I would think that the French would have programs to create "Govs" loyal to ( and supported by ) Paris as far as possible as a rule , but in cases like Britain where such moves might create tensions it would more a case of applying the political pressure needed to ensure that all sail the same course .

After all , France would not gain much from having violent and unstable neighbouring countries -even if the price was expansion of its borders to include French speaking areas abroad etc .

In the long run it would be much more efficient to develop and groom the now devestated countries around it to become viable markets for products and sources of raw materials.

Gaining the hegemony in this sector wiould be immensly more valuable than both Wallonia ( French speaking Belgium),Quebec, the overseas territories etc .

In short- "the Great Game " theories seem a tad outdated to me , I see France as making a bigger place for it self by developing other countries as far as it has the resources to (albeit -not to a level where they could challenge the defacto power of course ).

Much of the French populace will need employment in secondary or even tertiary sectors of the economy if France itself expects to remain stable without severe repression or revolts.This entails commerce -and war is bad for business.

In this respect I see more of a post WWII -American approach to Europe and the US after T2k and less of a divide and conquer style approach .

all imho .