[Mohoender]

I'm not discussing anyones point as I think that all could perfectly fit. However, here is what I think could have happen with France.

In 1981, François Mitterand became president and established a coalition with the French Communist Party (at the time the communist party had 44 seats in the parliament). In 1988, the left had won its second election but the communists had lost influence, gaining only 25 seats.

However, with the revival and reinforcement of communsit rule in the Soviet Union itself, the French communist party was revived again. Receiving a fair amount of funding from Moscow it could overcome the financial difficulties it faced in the late 1980's while the politburo was taken over by a new generation. As a result, by 1993, the French communist party had regained part of its previous popularity and was increasingly regarded as a valid option by the French working class. When the legislative election came, while the left was defeated, the communist had gain a lot of influence getting 70 seats while the socialists had won only 57.

During the presidential election of 1995, the PCF widely supported the socialist candidate, Lionel Jospin who won by a small margin over Jacques Chirac. Then, in the legislative election called by Jospin following his election as president, the left gained a majority of the seats again (the socialists having 207 seats, the ecologists 18 and the communists 96). As a result, the PCF represented a force to count with and it was given no less than 5 ministers (including finance and foreign relations) and 8 secretary of states to the PCF.

That same year, as the war had started between China and USSR, the PCF had expressed full support to the PCUS while the French government offcially declared neutrality in the ongoing war.

By the end of 1995, a majority of the French intelligentsia (writer, phylosphers, movie directors, actors...) had also express support to the Soviets who are described as the main opposition to the "Peril Jaune" (Yellow Threat), a notion that had long been vivid in France. Then, the PCF and PCI issued what is now known as the "Call for Resistance". Immediately following this, communists from all over the world gathered into Moscow where they are organized into 4 International Brigades (50% of the volunteers are French and 20% Italian). The French government tried to oppose this but most volunteers fly to Moscow from Italy and Switzerland. By mid-1996, US is widely critisized among some French circles for its increasingly pro-chinese position.

When the war started between NATO and the Warsaw Pact, the French President renouncing his prerogative, turned to the parliament who voted by 70% against the war (many French deputies of the right and far right joining with the left, stating that this war was, again, an expression of German Imperialism). Again, France declares neutrality, asks its NATO partners to return to their starting point and, finally, withdraws from NATO.

This marks the starting point of a long lasting discussion among NATO. While the other countries who had left the alliance are not seen as serious threat France poses a serious problem and it is widely described as a traitorous country. The problem increases when several NATO-align commercial ships seeking refuge in French harbors are impounded while their crews are taken into custody (In fact, after two months of negociation, ships and crews are allowed to leave but they are empty). London insists about the need of a strike on French military ports but this is opposed by Washington (especially as the French are collaborating in the Middle East). Nevertheless, new tensions arise as time goes by and more ships are impounded (This time, only crews are returned).

Therefore, when the nukes start to fall, Germany, Netherland and UK are convinced that the French might help the Soviets. They also argue that, whatever France position, France is a threat onto itself. Finally, they point out that NATO can't take the risk of having France following the path of Italy. At last, they convinced US and NATO to hit a number of targets located essentially on France Atlantic Coast. Nevertheless, these strikes are short live as France answers quickly, destroying a number of targets clearly vital to NATO.

This is just some rough ideas based on a few historical facts. When Italy left its alliance with Germany in WW1, it declared war to the Central Powers. When France capitulated in 1940, UK turned on it at Mers-el-Kebir, Dakar but also Madagascar. When US troops landed in North Africa French troops opened fire (unlike what had been expected by Free France). Resistance was short lived but often bitter. French troops also resisted the British in Syria. By 1940, several french ships (including the aircraft carrier Bearn) were interned in Matinique upon the insitance of US (a neutral nation at the time).

I'm not saying that the Soviet targetting of France is a wrong idea, I'm just saying that it is no better than the NATO option (That's war and France turned on its allies). In fact, France is more a threat to NATO than to WP (as seen in the game scenario itself).