I should have known

Defeatism and defeatist entered the language in 1918, from French défaitiste, which was coined in reference to the Russians dropping out of World War I. Defeat itself is much older, of course. It comes from Old French defait, from a common Latin compound of dis- "un-, not" and facere "to do, perform." The original sense of defeat in English was "bring ruination, cause destruction." The military sense of "conquer" dates from c.1600. Done With Mirrors

Now that I think about it the word "defeat" sounds like a French word. It cracks me up that it is French. Now that I'm thinking about it, the word "surrender" sounds French too.