France is often mocked as a country that tends to lose a lot. Usually this is referred to World War 2 which ended surprisingly fast and decisively, especially if you compare it to the Great War, where the French with the help of the Entente managed to hold the line against the German Empire.

But World War 2 it is by far not the only case where the French have been defeated. In fact there are so many defeats that you could say, since about 200 years France is nothing but losing.

Yes, basically since Napoleon, the French haven't gotten anything done.

1) In the aftermath of Napoleon they build the Suez passage but that was pretty much it with the French glory

2) After that they've tried to build the Panama Passage - but failed

3) Then they lost the Franco-Prussian War

4) Then their Suez Passage business went bankrupt and they gave it to the British

5) Then they lost World War 1 - The French failed to accomplish all their objectives for the war

6) After that they lost World War 2

7) Then they lost Indochina

8) After that they also lost Algeria

9) Then they agreed on Germany's reunification while insisting on a single currency (which was a double screwup)

10) And the next and final screwup that will end France is already standing in the door with Political Islam

If you think now "ulala, but they have built the Eiffel Tower, mon dieu!" Well, that's true. But then again the Eiffel Tower is just some 325m high steel frame radio tower standing in the right place. But the thing is not really an epiphany of technological advancement.

The moral of the story is: Every single one of the last eight generations of Frenchmen experienced a dramatic defeat. The problem is that it all happened at their periphery or they got out of it heavily bruised and with a black eye. This is why they just go on as if nothing happened until it is too late.