Also ask whether the French would actually have used
nuclear weapons to stop a Soviet non-nuclear attack on
France.
From what I've read, during the cold war many countries developed short-range, small yield nuclear weapons. American examples are some of the most famous, like the Davy Crockett missile.
The thinking was, for the same reason France might not use nuclear weapons against a non-nuclear attack, the Soviets might not use large nuclear weapons against a small nuclear weapon attack.
The thinking was, for the same reason France might not use nuclear weapons against a non-nuclear attack, the Soviets might not use large nuclear weapons against a small nuclear weapon attack.