How Tall Was Napoleon Bonaparte? Actually Pretty Average

Napoleon's short stature is an enduring topic. There's just one problem: He wasn't really short. At the time of his death, he measured 5 feet, 2 inches, in French units, the equivalent of about 5 feet, 6 inches, (169 centimeters) in modern measurement units, notes the National Gallery of Victoria.

For reference, the global mean height for men born in 1996 and measured at age 18 in 2014 was 171 centimeters, or 5 feet 7.3 inches.

The Napoleon confusion stems from the British and French measurements used at the time of Napoleon's reign, which went by the same terms even though the actual measurements varied. Then, the French inch was 2.7 cm, compared to the 2.54 cm the British used.

In the 18th century, the average French man was a little over 5 feet 5 inches, meaning he was about average height.

While he was of average tallness (or shortness), his battle strategies may have also contributed to his short reputation. The French leader had tall personal guards, making him look short-statured in comparison. He also surrounded himself with other taller people.

"His brothers were all taller than him," Michael Broers, a professor of Western European history at the University of Oxford, tells The Washington Post. "A lot of the marshals in his army were taller than him. Even [his wife] Josephine was taller than him.”

His mean-spirited character could have fueled his quarrelsome reputation. Napoleon had a habit of spilling ink or food on women's clothing when he didn't like the cut of their cloth, making him one of the earliest members of the fashion police. He also severely restricted the rights of women [source: National Gallery of Victoria].

Little Boney

Napoleon's critics portrayed him as ill-tempered. For example, James Gillray created Little Boney, a caricature of Napoleon throwing tantrums.

Known as "le petit caporal" or "the little corporal," the nickname didn't arise to describe a tiny Napoleon. Instead, the affectionate nickname came about because of his youth.

"When he comes up with the army in Italy, most of his soldiers are older than him," Broers tells The Washington Post. "They’re veterans; they’ve been around. It was a term of endearment because of his age.”

According to Merriam-Webster, the term "Napoleon complex" dates back to 1924, around 100 years after the end of the Napoleonic Wars. (Other sources say the origins are a bit unclear.) The term defines shorter men who try to compensate for their height.

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 50-50 chance of winning, it takes those odds.

If resources are abundant, all bets should be on the little guy, too. 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.