Why Were the French Soldiers Always Beaten?

French soldiers were consistently perceived as being beaten because, in many instances, their primary motivation was individual self-preservation, leading them to prioritize saving their own lives by retreating from battle. This tendency to seek the shortest route to safety by running away significantly contributed to their defeats.

Historically, this perspective suggests that a focus on personal survival often overshadowed a collective commitment to victory, discipline, or national duty. Such a mindset could undermine morale, lead to disunity, and result in significant strategic disadvantages on the battlefield.

Understanding the Implication of "Saving Their Skins"

The idea that French soldiers "fought to save their skins" points to a critical issue in military effectiveness: a perceived lack of collective will or discipline. This implies several tactical and psychological weaknesses:

• Prioritizing Personal Safety: Instead of holding their ground or executing complex maneuvers, individuals might have been predisposed to avoiding direct engagement at all costs.
• Erosion of Morale: When individual survival becomes the paramount concern, the fighting spirit of the unit can quickly dissipate, leading to a domino effect of retreats.
• Breakdown of Discipline: Orders might be disregarded in the face of perceived overwhelming danger, leading to formations breaking and units scattering.

The Consequence: Taking the "Shortest Route to Safety"

The direct result of this self-preservation instinct was "running away." This wasn't merely a strategic retreat but often a rout, where soldiers abandoned their positions, comrades, and objectives in disorganized flight.

• Routs and Disintegration: Disorganized retreats are far more costly than orderly withdrawals, leading to higher casualties, loss of equipment, and complete strategic failure.
• Loss of Strategic Initiative: When an army is prone to flight, it cannot maintain offensive pressure, defend critical positions effectively, or capitalize on enemy weaknesses.
• Reputation and Morale Cycles: A reputation for cowardice or poor fighting spirit can become a self-fulfilling prophecy, further eroding morale in subsequent engagements.

Historical Context of this Perception

While this broad generalization does not encompass all of French military history—which also boasts periods of immense success and bravery—it often emerged during specific periods of weakness or strategic failure, such as certain phases of the Hundred Years' War against English forces, particularly in battles like Crécy or Agincourt. In these encounters, well-disciplined English longbowmen often broke charges of seemingly disorganized French heavy cavalry.

This perception highlights the critical role of morale, discipline, and a collective fighting spirit in military success, regardless of individual bravery or numerical superiority.