[WoofDog123]

"When WWII started they just were not prepared or had the gumption to stick it out"

they really didn't have a chance, also belgium not letting france and gb deploy pre-emptively and instead becoming neutral guaranteed germany had a not-so-opposed entry into NE france. once the armor was on the ground, who was going to stop it at that point?

i think post-occupation collaboration was a far bigger shame issue than losing to the german military of that time.

[irv]

they really didn't have a chance

They didn't have a chance because of their own choices - trusting their entire defence to the (admittedly formidable) Maginot Line. They simply ignored the parts of their border it could not defend and allocated virtually nothing to any defence in depth.

They were doomed by the arrogant assumption that the enemy would stupidly attack them where they were strongest.

[GeorgefromGeorgia]

The French Army was no small force. Unfortunately, its strategy was flawed. The Germans won fairly easily not just because they did an end run around the Maginot Line (give me a break, they repeated the same strategy from WWI), but also Hans Guideron's combined arms strategy of using air, infantry and armor in coordination to break through lines and aggressive move into the rear. Finally, the Germans wanted to win a lot more than the French.