The phrase, a decent respect for the opinions of mankind, was intended to convey a respect for what mankind thinks. Opinions are biases indulged by mankind inside their thought-matrices. Mankind is the species known as Homo Sapiens Sapiens.
<span>It is clear that the French society viewed the war as being one of difficulty and hardship, despite the fact that the noblemen did not have to sacrifice their lives for the cause. This was a clear portrayal of differentiation in mentality among the French society during this era.</span>
In other words, he would feel like less of a man in front of his children. (I hope that's right)
