Why French leaders distrusted their armed forces

Why did French political leaders distrust their armed forces?

French political history contributed to the distrust, while the belief that Germany no longer posed a threat made the armed forces seem unnecessary and potentially dangerous at home.

In this account, French political history and expectations of permanent peace both contributed to distrust of the armed forces. Once Germany seemed to have ceased being an external threat, military institutions could appear unnecessary. Forces maintained for national defense then looked like a possible source of domestic danger. That belief made disarmament seem compatible with concern about military intervention at home.