NAPOLEON Bonaparte, the legendary military leader and Emperor of France, is often remembered for his immense ambition, strategic genius and, curiously, his supposed diminutive stature.
His height and temper has inspired the term ‘the Napoleon Complex’, which later became a popular belief that short men tend to compensate for their lack of height through domineering behavior and aggression.
So, is it true? Was he really a tiny titan, or is this one of history's tallest tales?
Verdict:
FALSE
The notion of Napoleon being short may be one of history's most enduring misconceptions.
Part of the ongoing confusion seems to stem from the difference in the French and English measuring systems back in the day.
The French "pouce" is equal to 1.06 English inches, which meant that in France at the time, Napoleon was said to be five feet two inches tall.
More than one Napoleon observer, however, had said he was about five foot six inches tall, which is a little above average for a French man then.
This height was confirmed at his autopsy.
Historians also point out that Napoleon was often surrounded by his Imperial Guard, who were exceptionally tall. This made him appear shorter by comparison, further cementing the myth.
But one of the main reasons Napoleon was so relentlessly mocked might have come down to anxieties about his outsized ambitions, which prompted his enemies to try to cut him down to size.
The British, Napoleon's long-time adversaries, had a hand in promoting the image of Napoleon as a short man.
British cartoonists like James Gillray "manipulated size and dress to symbolically deflate a threatening military opponent."
The long-standing influence of Gillray’s satire shows how mockery can be a powerful weapon against the powerful.
References:
1. https://www.thoughtco.com/was-
2. https://www.history.com/
3. https://www.britannica.com/
