Until 1963, we were still living with the fear of a Soviet invasion, and the whole political vocabulary suggested we could wake up one morning occupied by hordes of Soviets. In reality, French public opinion had the idea that such a thing could no longer happen, so the nation's fears shifted to something different: the threat of nuclear war. We felt that in a Soviet-American war of mutual destruction, we Europeans would be the first victims. During this time, France adopted an independent stance. De Gaulle's idea was to get out from under America's tutelage. For the French public, however, the idea was that since the great danger is nuclear, we have to protect ourselves. Which explains the public support for the French deterrent during this period. This also explains the difference between French and German conduct. Helmut Schmidt often told me, "You, the leader of a nuclear power, can't realize the psychology of a country that knows it has no nuclear arms and is totally dependent on others for its protection."