On behalf of Ian from Forgotten weapons (peace be upon him) I take issue with this!

French artillery recoil management? It was ahead of its time by decades and WWI artillery was more accurate and deadly coming from the French, who didn't have to choose between being accurate or fast since their weapon stayed put after each shot, whereas other pieces used their inertia and rolling to manage recoil.

The minié ball?

Historically the French were like a nation sized Keltech where they threw shit at a wall and the world looked on with concerned interest (and often copied the best ideas that stuck to the wall the hardest)