"One war? Which one is that, World War I, when the molasses-slow German army was able to drive the French to within 20 miles of Paris? World War II, where they retreated the entire length and breadth of their country, and many of the French citizens cooperated with and collabarated with the Nazis? How about the way they failed in Vietnam, Algeria, and Libya? Maybe we should go back to when the Foreign Legion was defeated by the freakin' Mexicans in the late 1800s, their loss of Haiti and the Dominican Republic, their losses during the French and Indian war and the Hundred Years War. It's no coincidence that the best fighting force the French has is composed entirely of foreigners." ***These are not my words, don't shoot the messenger! This is from a forum that was asking why Americans think the French are cowards, and it is a fairly typical response. Many Americans, assuming they know their history (which I assure you they don't) would agree with this assessment. However, since history isn't a strong suit, most will just stick with WWII as a jumping off point for calling them cowards. Dumb? Absolutely. Ignorant? Sure. Common? I'm embarrassed to say.