I suppose because a few years earlier France was believed to be a superior force - the only European country that could stand up to Nazi Germany. The fast and c

I suppose because a few years earlier France was believed to be a superior force - the only European country that could stand up to Nazi Germany. The fast and complete defeat by the Nazis demonstrated France to be incompetent and overconfident. Austria and Czechoslovakia were more political defeats (and France did nothing to stop these) and Britain fought until the bitter end. Poland also suffered significant military defeat, but didn't earn any more respect than France for it.