Would that be the Franco-Prussian war, or WWII?
I don't think you can fairly call the French performance in the Franco-Prussian War ignominious. Their armies were surrounded and captured due to the incompetence of Napoleon III and his generals. But they raised new armies and fought on bravely for many months, despite the fact that all their professional trained soldiers were captive in enemy hands.
Those who fight bravely but are defeated have nothing to be ashamed of.
Now WWII was an ignominiious defeat, but it is also fair to point out that Britain would have been defeated equally as ignominiously if not for about 12 miles of seawater.