ABSTRACT
French leaders identify the political purpose of nuclear weapons as the defense of French territory or, at best, of France's "vital interests." This chapter deals with an examination of the basic elements of French doctrine, limited to identifying the response to a central question: What political purposes are served by French nuclear forces? It presents a consideration of the external pressures that are challenging the credibility of the French deterrent and creating a need for change in French doctrine. The chapter identifies and discusses the resulting French strategic dilemma, followed by an analysis of the basic French defense options in the 1980s as reflected in the discussions of defense policy in France. The basic political purpose of French nuclear forces is to ensure French independence. Some analysts have suggested that France should give the Ground Forces a significant upgrading of usable nuclear firepower.
