Wretched civil-military relations, bad doctrine, terrible morale amongst the troops, a lot of obsolescent equipment (especially air force) although some good, all of that before the beginning of the war. Then, once the war starts, a basically passive stance until the German attack in the west which is met with one wretched decision after another. Even with the situation as OTL with better decisions beginning in 1939 (when Germany was naked in the west) France could have done much better - but as they say a fish rots from the head.
Once the armistice was signed, a large chunk of the right in France was more than happy to try and undo the legacy of Republicanism - replacing Liberté, Equailité, Fraternité with Patrie, Famille, Travail (liberty, equality, brotherhood replaced by the Vichy country, family, work)