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Turns out Napoleon Bonaparte wasn’t short as all
History makes it no secret that Napoleon Bonaparte was a short man. Napoleon is popularly believed to be 5 feet 2 inches, becoming the laughing stock of Europe after his death. Many believe that Napoleon’s strive for power and greatness derived from his discontent for his short height, giving origin to the term “the Napoleon Complex”.
The Napoleon Complex is a type of inferiority complex that a person of shorter stature possesses that drives them to be more aggressive or dominant in order to compensate for their lack of physical height. Many believe that Napoleon and his power-hungry political moves were a result of this complex. However, in recent years, historians largely disagree that Napoleon was a short man. In fact, many believe that Napoleon was just about the height of the average French man.
So, where did this misperception come from?
The French measurement
During the 18th and 19th centuries, France used a different measuring system than the current metric or imperial system. Napoleon was in fact 5 feet 2 inches; however, an inch at the time was equivalent to 2,7 centimeters, whereas the modern imperial system dictates that an inch is equal to 2,54 centimeters. When applying the modern imperial measurement, Napoleon…
