Why do people say napoleon was short

Applying the French measurements of the time, that equals around 1. So if Napoleon was of average height, where does the legend of his small stature come from?

It was, in fact, largely the work of one man: the British cartoonist James Gillray From the start, Gillray satirized Napoleon as a thundering, boastful character, if not necessarily short.

But in this image he is more muscular than small. Napoleon's height has been the subject of many psychological profiles. But if Napoleon was of average height, the easy psychology doesn't work for him. Why is there such a discrepancy in historic descriptions of Napoleon's height? As he was one of the most famous men of his era, it would seem reasonable to assume that his contemporaries knew how tall he was. But the problem may have been due to a difference in measurements between the English and French-speaking worlds.

The French inch was actually longer than the British inch, leading to any height sounding shorter to the English speaking world. In Napoleon's doctor Jean-Nicolas Corvisart-Desmarets — said Napoleon was "5 foot 2 inches by the French measure," which equates to about 5 foot 6 in British measurements.

When other sources are factored in, including another measurement after the autopsy in British measurements, people generally conclude with the height of 5 foot 5—7 inches British, or 5 foot 2 in French, but there is still some doubt.

This was especially true of the Imperial Guard units which had height requirements, leading to them all being taller than him. Napoleon was even named the " le petit caporal," often translated as "little corporal," even though it was a term of affection rather than a description of his height, further leading to people assuming he was short.

The idea was certainly perpetuated by the propaganda of his enemies, who portrayed him as short as a way of attacking and undermining him.

Cherian, Alisha. National Library Board. Knapen, Jill, et al. Napoleon only ended them. Napoleon is a great man,and should be remembered as such. Frankensteins Colton Kruse , October 29, Or Not Weird News. Ripley's Believe It or Not! While the idea that Napoleon was shorter than average is clearly a myth, the use of the term "Napoleon complex" endures.

It may not be fully applicable to humans, but researchers are discovering it's quite prevalent among animals where conflicts frequently arise over resources and mates. For example, if resources are scarce, smaller males have more to gain by attacking larger males. Even if the smaller animal only has a chance of winning, it takes those odds.

If resources are abundant, however, all bets should be on the little guy. Small animals are still more likely to attack larger ones, and the Goliaths are more likely to retreat because they know they can seek alternative resources elsewhere [source: Morrell ].

Maybe there's something to the Napoleon strategy after all. Sign up for our Newsletter! Mobile Newsletter banner close.