Why do people think that French people just give up?

Mostly it is Fance's quick surrender in World War 2. The French rolled over in a couple months and left the Brits and later the Americans to deal with Hitler. Later in the war, when the allies invaded North Africa, the Vichy French defenders gave up almost immediately. It also has comes from their record of leaving festering messes in their former colonies. French Indocina (Vietnam), Algeria, etc.