Why are the French always remembered as cowards by some Americans ?

[Exocet]

Why are the French always remembered as cowards by some Americans,when this country and its army played a key role in the US's independence war ?
The French kingdom helped by any means the Americans and led to the bankruptcy of the Kingdom wich was one of the cause that lead to the revolution.....
Is that because we didn't join the stupid Iraq war ? I think the French bashing played a key role in this. "Freedom fries....."

[phuckphace]

neocons get a rise out of sending teenagers to die in desert shitholes and think everyone else should too.

fortunately the public has caught on. the freedom fries thing (beyond all parody) was big c.2004 but since then we've wised up and got rollin' with the Drumpfenkrieg. in fact, disgust of neocons is part of the reason Trump is smoking the competition.

[Stronk Serb]

Well, I think it relates to the capitulation of WWII and the Franco-Prussian war. It's easy to say for Americans whose last war on their soil was the Civil War. Besides, if they knocked out all of Europe and America was standing by its own, they would not be invaded.

[Judean Zealot]

WWII and the Vichy collaboration is the primary reason.

[Exocet]

Well, I think it relates to the capitulation of WWII and the Franco-Prussian war. It's easy to say for Americans whose last war on their soil was the Civil War. Besides, if they knocked out all of Europe and America was standing by its own, they would not be invaded.

Everyone making fun about us in the WW2,do not know what it is to be blitzkried by the German Army. The British expeditionary force literally run away with its tail between their legs and left France,yet do we call them cowards ? If Britain wasn't separated by the channel,they would have suffered the same faith.
US has no borders with Europe,so yes it's easy to make fun about the others.

[phuckphace]

we need another civil war so Americans can be cured once and for all of their "war as a televised football game" mentality. a shell exploding in Jimbob's backyard would do the trick.

[Exocet]

we need another civil war so Americans can be cured once and for all of their "war as a televised football game" mentality. a shell exploding in Jimbob's backyard would do the trick.

Who will you send to fight ? Them ?

https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7519/15755506011_a9ca805284_b.jpg

https://www.ohio.edu/compass/stories/14-15/11/images/Walk-a-Mile-5.jpg


http://i.imgur.com/JxQeaxi.jpg

*jk,relax*

[phuckphace]

Who will you send to fight ? Them ?

image (https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7519/15755506011_a9ca805284_b.jpg)

image (https://www.ohio.edu/compass/stories/14-15/11/images/Walk-a-Mile-5.jpg)

clownworld.jpg

[SethfromMI]

during the War of 1812, the French surrendered Fort Detroit without firing a single shot (Fort Detroit was French at the time). That is one of the biggest reasons. Hitler took over pretty easy in WWII is another

[Exocet]

during the War of 1812, the French surrendered Fort Detroit without firing a single shot (Fort Detroit was French at the time). That is one of the biggest reasons. Hitler took over pretty easy in WWII is another

Since when there were French soldiers in the US in 1812 ?

[SethfromMI]

Since when there were French soldiers in the US in 1812 ?

lol you do know the French owned/had claim to most of what we now know as the United States right? ever heard of the Louisiana purchase? and if you don't believe me, look it up online for yourself

[Exocet]

lol you do know the French owned/had claim to most of what we now know as the United States right? ever heard of the Louisiana purchase? and if you don't believe me, look it up online for yourself


When i searched about Fort Detroit in 1812,i only found almost nothing.

Just this :

[On July 11, 1796, under terms negotiated in the Jay Treaty, Fort Detroit, Fort Lernoult and the surrounding settlement was surrendered by the British to the Americans, 13 years after the Treaty of Paris ended the war and the area was ceded to the United States.]

And BTW,the military history of a country is made of incredible victories,and humiliating defeats. So..

[SethfromMI]

When i searched about Fort Detroit in 1812,i only found almost nothing.

Just this :

[On July 11, 1796, under terms negotiated in the Jay Treaty, Fort Detroit, Fort Lernoult and the surrounding settlement was surrendered by the British to the Americans, 13 years after the Treaty of Paris ended the war and the area was ceded to the United States.]

And BTW,the military history of a country is made of incredible victories,and humiliating defeats. So..

lol when I have more time later, I will give you more then enough links. it is sad I know more about your history then you do, at least in regards to the French over here

[Exocet]

lol when I have more time later, I will give you more then enough links. it is sad I know more about your history then you do, at least in regards to the French over here

You might know some things that i don't. I cannot know everything,the French military history is so rich that it would take months to list all wars and battles,be it victories or defeats.

[Judean Zealot]

lol you do know the French owned/had claim to most of what we now know as the United States right? ever heard of the Louisiana purchase? and if you don't believe me, look it up online for yourself

What does the Louisiana purchase have to do with cowardice? Boneparte needed the money to find his conquest of Europe- and Napoleon was hardly a coward.

[Porpoise101]

lol when I have more time later, I will give you more then enough links. it is sad I know more about your history then you do, at least in regards to the French over here
Exocet is right, the French were expelled from North America except for the Caribbean because they sold Louisiana in 1803 and also lost the French and Indian war (also called seven years war). I think you may be referring to a battle that happened in that war but I haven't checked. Also if I remember after retaking the fort the Americans launched an abortive offensive into Canada. Then the Canadians occupied Detroit after the army routed.

To answer the question, I think it's because of WW2 because a lot of people don't realize that France was the strongest nation until the German unification and they only remember the US troops in D day. The reality is that the operation would have failed if not for the French resistance. Of course you guys helped us in our revolution and we've helped each other out in WW1.

[Sir Suomi]

I'd say it's due to the events of WWII, honestly. Not saying that you were in the wrong, but most people tend to think, "Her der, France got taken out right away and we saved their asses, her der". While there is some truth to it(France would've been impossible to take back without American assistance, IMO), French resistance fighters played a vital role in fighting back against the Germans.

[Exocet]

I'd say it's due to the events of WWII, honestly. Not saying that you were in the wrong, but most people tend to think, "Her der, France got taken out right away and we saved their asses, her der". While there is some truth to it(France would've been impossible to take back without American assistance, IMO), French resistance fighters played a vital role in fighting back against the Germans.

You are right.

Most of them ignore the massive contribution of the French resistance to the success of the D day and subsequent anti Nazi operations that came at the cost of many French lives.
The French free forces also played a key role in the liberation of France with the allies.

We might have lost,but nobody gave up the fight.

And the US paid their debt. We helped them,they helped us back.

[tovaris]

Because they are remembered as cowards by the entire world.
The are incapable of acting in a war.

[Jean Poutine]

lol you do know the French owned/had claim to most of what we now know as the United States right? ever heard of the Louisiana purchase? and if you don't believe me, look it up online for yourself

lol when I have more time later, I will give you more then enough links. it is sad I know more about your history then you do, at least in regards to the French over here

France was not party to the War of 1812. That was a war between the US and GB + Canada, with Spain as the latter's ally, along with allied Indian tribes on both sides.

And most ironically, it is the Americans who surrendered Fort Detroit to the British in 1812 with barely a fight even though the Americans outnumbered them.

"it is sad I know more about your history then you do"

Wow. You know why Americans are remembered as ignoramuses the world over? Shit like this.

[Judean Zealot]

I'd say it's due to the events of WWII, honestly. Not saying that you were in the wrong, but most people tend to think, "Her der, France got taken out right away and we saved their asses, her der". While there is some truth to it(France would've been impossible to take back without American assistance, IMO), French resistance fighters played a vital role in fighting back against the Germans.

I would say that the Vichy regime played more to the reputation of shifty cowards than did the original steamrolling by the Nazis.

[Porpoise101]

France was not party to the War of 1812. That was a war between the US and GB + Canada, with Spain as the latter's ally, along with allied Indian tribes on both sides.

And most ironically, it is the Americans who surrendered Fort Detroit to the British in 1812 with barely a fight even though the Americans outnumbered them.

"it is sad I know more about your history then you do"

Wow. You know why Americans are remembered as ignoramuses the world over? Shit like this.
That's why it's up to a few good ones to rectify these mistakes

[Sir Suomi]

I would say that the Vichy regime played more to the reputation of shifty cowards than did the original steamrolling by the Nazis.

Depends on where you're at. Around where I'm from, the joke is really about how fast the French got shit on (No offense, mes amis français) and less about the Vichy. To be honest, 99% of those who make jokes about the French in WWII probably haven't even heard of Vichy France.

[phuckphace]

And most ironically, it is the Americans who surrendered Fort Detroit to the British in 1812 with barely a fight even though the Americans outnumbered them.

we should've let them have it

[Porpoise101]

we should've let them have it
Hey... I don't want to be Canadian! Then I'd be in the same nation as... Windsor[emoji40]

[phuckphace]

Hey... I don't want to be Canadian! Then I'd be in the same nation as... Windsor[emoji40]

...do you actually live in Detroit proper? I really don't wanna see your chalk outline on Google StreetView someday

[Porpoise101]

No I live just outside of it, just 15 mins away from the city center. It's not that bad, think of it like a badly tended garden; some isolated patches are pretty but they are few and far between.

[phuckphace]

I wouldn't live anywhere near Detroit or Chicongo unless I had a literal legion of bodyguards toting SMGs

[Emerald Dream]

Let's stay on topic, please.

[Uniquemind]

I would say part of the reason France was steamrolled in WWII, had a lot to do with the fact there was a sizable chunk of their populace whom agreed with anti-semitism, and actually believed in the Aryan race myth spouted by Hitler and his nazis.

That and they're military strategy was heavily invested in that wall, which the Germans just circumvented by going through the forrest.

But they seem to have learned their lesson. I would never call them cowards.

[Judean Zealot]

The question remains- why the French in particular? Every country in Europe got flattened.

[Exocet]

The question remains- why the French in particular? Every country in Europe got flattened.

I'm pretty sure,this was also due to the Iraq war. When we refused to go there,knowing it would be a total disaster that Saddam had no WMDs or some other BS,people started to call the French and their army as "cowards" (Or they thought we were scared of going there ? ),and that other term with "monkeys surrender" or that thing... The French bashing was at its highest point during int that time.
They can say whatever they want,glad we didn't send any of our soldiers there.
-
When people started to recognize it was a total failure,that the region is now a mess,that US spent billions (if not trillion) of $$,lost thousands of soldiers,and more injured,when thousands of Iraqis were killed,and that people of that region are even more hating the US,most of them said the French were right.

[CosmicNoodle]

You'd have to be a total tool to think all French are cowards, or to think the stereotypy is close to correct, it's just a joke between countries like people from the Uk having bad teeth, or drinking too much tea, or the Russians and Vodka, or Americans with narcissism, or any of Asia with maths. These days it's more of a joke, a poke in the ribs, not an actual insult and shouldn’t be viewed as one.

[Uniquemind]

The question remains- why the French in particular? Every country in Europe got flattened.

That I don't have the answer to. Lazy human psychological rationales?

[sqishy]

You'd have to be a total tool to think all French are cowards, or to think the stereotypy is close to correct, it's just a joke between countries like people from the Uk having bad teeth, or drinking too much tea, or the Russians and Vodka, or Americans with narcissism, or any of Asia with maths. These days it's more of a joke, a poke in the ribs, not an actual insult and shouldn’t be viewed as one.

I feel the seriousness of the joke was brought up quite a bit to the level of being perceived as not a joke, by certain recent events. That would be my guess, at the least. (I'm not getting into this topic otherwise.)

[Falcons_11]

I have never considered the French as being cowards at all. As an American I am proud of my French heritage (besides the French make the best wine and cheese in the world). But I think that those Americans after 9/11 who thought that the French were cowards just becuz they wouldn't join us in the Iraq war were ill-informed and do not know their own history. America owes a huge debt to France. After all, it was the French who are mostly responsible for our independence from Great Britain. They sent us Marquise de Lafayette, arms and weapons, money to fight the British. But when the chips were down in 1781 and Washington was facing Cornwallis in Yorktown, VA it was the French who sent their fleet to block the British from re-enforcing Cornwallis forcing him to surrender to Washington and thus America got her freedom. No other nation of the face of the planet stood by us and help us win. In my humble opinion France can never be cowardly and any American who thinks or says that forgets or is ignorant of their own history.

[Porpoise101]

No other nation of the face of the planet stood by us and help us win.

Not to be nitpicky, but the Prussians sent over a Baron to train up the troops are valley forge and the Spanish smuggled stuff to us. I think that you are right though about France, that were the only ones with actual boots on the ground.