Why does France lose every time

They seem so intimidating at the start of the game, then Germany unifies, they lose. Then Germany surpasses them and takes Loraine or whatever it’s called. And then France just drifts along, maybe a failed revolution or two and then they’re just the third best power in Europe, it’s kind of sad… and then their economy either stagnates or grows really slowly, and is easily surpassed by America and Germany.