French loss of psychological dominance over rebels proved worse than battlefield defeat

Evidence

“It was evident,” wrote Lacroix, “that we no longer inspired any moral terror, which is the worst thing that can happen to an army.” As a later chronicler wrote: “Everywhere the land harbored enemies—in the woods, behind a rock; liberty gave birth to them.” — Dubois, Laurent, Avengers of the New World_ The Story of…, 967