Would France build Dunkerque without naval treaties?

Would France still build the Dunkerque class if its earlier Lyon, Normandie, and Bretagne capital ships had been available?

Possibly, but without treaty constraints France would have less reason to choose Dunkerque's compromise design and could instead build a more capable successor.

The answer depends on France's requirements and the treaty environment. If the treaty system disappeared while the older capital-ship programmes survived, France would not face the same need for Dunkerque's balance of size, speed, armament, and protection. The class remained a good design, but a less constrained navy could pursue something better suited to its altered fleet.