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.
Roger that. The French held the perimeter and beat up the Germans while the British evacuated Dunkirk. The French Army now is as good as any. Their spec ops guys are some of the best.
