The myth of French cowardice has been so ingrained into our culture I'm afraid there's no fixing it. That's how the great (and ignorant) unwashed get brainwashed.
As mentioned, the French fought as good as anyone else during WWI, only to be crushed by a combined arms 20th century army whilst they were practicing 19th century and or WWI tactics. People forget what the French did under Napoleon I, who won more battles by a significant margin than even the most ablest German general.
A good principle to guide me through life: “This is all I have come to expect, standard lackluster performance. Trust nothing, believe no one and realize it will only get worse…”
