They were French n the way Anglo Saxons are British, being pedantic we are all Asian or further back possibly all African . I am not defending napoleons just pointing out the nonsense about French military victories
They. were. not. French. They did not adopt French customs, they did not adopt French culture, their ancestry came from the Vikings who settled in Northern France (who surrendered Normandy without much resistance, just a little fyi there.) Nothing about that makes them French, just their ability to break language barriers to make trading with their new 'neighbours' easier. (Some French citizens speak English, does that make them English?)
The Anglo-Saxons were
not "British", they were Germanic. Britain is the name of the island, given by the Romans. The 'Britons' were a collection of Celtic and Gaelic communities that were then conquered or dispersed by the Anglo-Saxons. The Anglo-Saxons themselves did not regard themselves as being 'British'.
The French being bad at fighting isn't nonsense when you consider their record in war is one of the worst in history, especially in regards to how long the nation has existed. The stereotype isn't one born from schadenfreude but historical fact. Someone has to be the worst at something, as it happens, its the French. Here's a few examples of why the French have to endure such japing.
Gallic Wars. Lost.
Hundred Years War. Mostly lost.
Italian Wars. Lost.
Thirty Years War. France wasn't really involved, gets invaded anyway.
The Dutch War. A draw (when England and Germany got involved to help the French)
War of the Augsburg League/King William's War/French and Indian War. Lost.
War of the Spanish Succession. Lost.
American Revolution. "France only wins when America does most of the fighting."
French Revolution. Won. Primarily due the fact that the opponent was also French.
The Napoleonic Wars. Lost. (Technically Napoleon WAS a Corsican as well)
The Franco-Prussian War. Lost.
World War I. Saved by Britain and the United States
World War II. Surrendered early on, Northern France collaborated.
War in Indochina. Lost.
Algerian Rebellion. Lost.