If France and Germany and Russia were all so worried about their oil investments in Iraq, they could simply have gone along and been part of the Coalition, thereby protecting their contracts.
The truth is that they mis-judged George Bush. They thought that he would cave when faced with that final veto.
France, in particular wants desparately to be considered a major player. The UNSC veto is all it has to affect world politics. Chirac goofed.
Germany didn't have much choice. Schroeder made his campaign pitch based on an anti-war platform and he's in enough trouble at home as it is with even his home district voting his party out in the last elections. He chose to run with France so he could be on the "winning" side vis 'a vis the UN. Sorry Gerhardt.
Russia. Hmmmmm. Putin needs influence in the Middle East but he also needs the money Saddam Hussein owes Russia. Eight or nine billion, I believe. I'd guess that he figured he had a better chance of getting it if Saddam Hussein was still in power.

troll