Losers tend to justify their failures by the lack of rich parents, poor education and ugly appearance. Such people are usually reminded that the height of Napoleon Bonaparte barely exceeded 150 cm. The short stature did not prevent the "Little Corporal" from achieving success in life. However, modern researchers have managed to prove that Napoleon's short stature is nothing more than a legend that arose as a result of an error.
early years
The future emperor was born in Corsica and came from a family of poor aristocrats who lived on the island from the first half of the 16th century. Carlo, Napoleon's father, worked as a service assessor, which allowed him to have a good income. High Carlo Buonaparte was able to achieve thanks to his marriage to the daughter of a Corsican official Letizia Ramolino. Carlo and Letizia had 13 children. Only three daughters and four sons survived to adulthood.
Napoleon was different from his brothers and sisters. He was not like his peers, who played carelessly in the street. Historians have little information about the early years of the future emperor. It is known that the boy probably suffered from tuberculosis. A sickly and uncommunicative child preferred reading books to the company of his peers. He devoted a lot of time to self-education, locking himself in the farthest room in the house, which no one ever entered. The boy loved the most historical literature. Napoleon's native language was Corsican Italian. AT primary school he mastered classical Italian, then set about learning French. Despite all his efforts, Bonaparte was never able to learn to speak French without an accent.
Much is known about Napoleon's life. interesting facts, indicating the unusualness of this person:
- At birth, the boy received a very rare name, which was practically not used among Italians or among Corsicans. Bonaparte was named after his great-uncle.
- Napoleon slept very little. For a good rest, he needed two hours. Sleep could overtake the emperor at the most inopportune moment, for example, during a battle.
- Bonaparte amazed even seasoned generals with his courage. At the same time, Napoleon was terribly afraid of cats and could not stand their presence.
- Bonaparte had not only military talent. He was a good mathematician and could read at speeds up to two thousand words per minute.
It is generally accepted that the height of Napoleon Bonaparte did not exceed 157 cm (in some sources - 153 cm). Contemporaries of the brilliant commander generally do not comment on his growth. Historians claim that the reason for the appearance of the legend was the emperor's nickname - "Little Corporal".
The reason for the appearance of the nickname was not low growth. Bonaparte had a too big head, which seriously violated the proportions of his body. There are other explanations as well. At the age of 26, Napoleon had already managed to become a general. Such rapid movement up the career ladder was rare. The nickname could indicate youth rather than height. In addition, the military surrounding the commander were very tall people. Bonaparte might seem "small" to them. Moreover, if Napoleon was among civilians of average height, he was no different from them.
There is a legend that the emperor sincerely envied tall people. He in every possible way restrained the movement up the career ladder of his high subordinates. It is possible that this is just a fantasy. Napoleon not only did not envy people with a "normal" height, but he also did not experience an inferiority complex. The proof of this is the refusal of the emperor to follow his contemporary fashion. Bonaparte did not wear plumed hats and high heels to appear taller.
On the question of how the myth of the short stature of the French emperor appeared, scientists were able to answer quite recently. The confusion arose from the use of different measurement systems. When Napoleon died, an autopsy was performed, and height was measured, which was recorded in the documents by the emperor's personal doctor as 5/2 (5 feet and 2 inches). The doctor was referring to the English system of measures, which differs significantly from the French. If we translate the data into the modern metric system, we can conclude that Napoleon was at least 169 cm. It should also be taken into account that at the time of his death the emperor was no longer young. In old age, the intervertebral discs slightly settle. In addition, there is a gradual loss of bone mass. In his younger years, the growth of the French emperor could exceed 170 cm.
Everyone can, regardless of whether he has the height of Napoleon Bonaparte or a basketball player. The great commander was distinguished by many unusual qualities. Not everyone is able to sleep 2 hours a day, as Bonaparte did. However, many can become as determined and self-confident as the French emperor.
Everyone associates the growth of Napoleon with the well-known expression about "a little man with big ambitions." AT modern psychology there is also the concept of the Napoleon complex, which consists in the stereotypes that men of short stature seek to compensate for this with a successful career or excessive aggression.
What do we really know about Napoleon and his physical parameters? This is to be found out in the article.
Basic information about Napoleon
Before considering the growth of Napoleon, it is worth clarifying some details of his biography. He was born on August 15, 1769 on the island of Corsica, and died on May 5, 1821 on the island of Saint Helena. In the family, he was the second of eight children. His family was very ancient, although not rich.
When the French captured Corsica, Napoleon's father Carlo Bonaparte entered their service. So the future emperor of France had a French scholarship and the opportunity to start a military career.
By winning the Queen's Necklace competition, he was accepted into the Royal Cadet School. She was in Paris, and only the children of aristocrats studied there. He was not accepted by them and bore the contemptuous nickname "Corsican".
After the death of his father, he had to complete his studies and go to military service. By the age of 24, he became a brigadier and then a divisional general. Next will be his political career, which was marked with the imperial title, and completed on the island of St. Helena.
Napoleon's life is covered with legends and myths, many of which became so entrenched in the minds of people that they began to be considered true. Napoleon's height is also covered in myth.
Modern view of Napoleon's stature
It is generally accepted that the emperor of France was about 156-159 cm tall. However, his contemporaries never called Bonaparte short. Moreover, individual French sources indicate figures of 165-172 cm. For Europe in the 18th century, this is the average height for men.
After his death, Napoleon's height was measured and amounted to 5 feet 2 inches 4 lines. The whole problem lies in the translation of these indicators into centimeters.
Measures of length accepted in Europe
In Europe, there were many types of feet. In each country, their indicators were different. Most often they were guided by the English measure of length. According to it, there were 30.48 cm in a pound. But there are many other options.
Indicators of the value of 1 foot in different countries (given in cm):
- Netherlands - 28.13.
- Venice - 34.77.
- Austria - 31.60.
- Denmark - 31.38.
- Czech Republic - 29.64.
- Spain (Madrid) - 28.26.
- Sweden - 29.68.
In addition, many free cities had their own indicators. It is important to understand what feet were used when translating the emperor's height.
How to convert Napoleon's height to cm
It has already been mentioned that the body of Napoleon after his death, which occurred on the island of St. Helena, was measured in feet. At this time he was a full 52 years old. By this age, men become 1-2 cm lower.
Besides, why does everyone use English feet when recalculating if he was considered the French emperor? It was this misunderstanding that led to the well-established myth of Bonaparte's small stature.
When recalculated according to the English measure, it will be 158 cm. In the French interpretation, we will get an indicator equal to 169 cm. Let's add another 1-2 cm to it and we will understand that in his younger years he was a man with an average height even according to modern indicators.
Causes of imposed delusions
It is important to understand why Napoleon Bonaparte, whose height is average, is considered short. Historians suggest that the reason for this was the nickname "little corporal", which he had in the service. However, it can be explained rather by a fragile physique and young age. Because 26 is a very young age for a general.
Another reason is his disproportionately large head. This is noticeable in some portraits created during the life of the emperor.
It is also worth considering that most of his generals were very tall. For example, the French Marshal Joachim Murat was almost 190 cm. Against his background, a man with an average build could really seem very low.
One of the first to depict the emperor as tiny was the British cartoonist J. Gillray. In his engraving, he depicted George 3, holding Bonaparte in his palm and examining him in a lorgnette. After that, many tried to humiliate the personality of the French dictator and portrayed him as a short man. So Napoleon Bonaparte, whose growth was within the average, seemed small, and the myth about this became a real fact for the majority.
As for the modern term "Napoleon complex", official psychiatry does not recognize it. Aggression and ambition are not directly related to a person's height. At least this has not been proven in practice. A similar term is used only in popular literature, which is designed for the mass reader.
Napoleon, whose height, whose weight was 171 cm and 79 kg, respectively, was a truly ambitious person, but his physical parameters hardly affected this.
We associate the name of Napoleon with the French Revolution, a rapid career, talented commanders, brilliant victories, the Battle of Borodino, Moscow burned down, the Battle of Waterloo, St. Helena, arsenic ... But, probably, the most main feature Emperor, according to prevailing belief, was his short stature, which he allegedly was terribly embarrassed about.
The fact that the emperor of France was short seems incontrovertible and is not even questioned - after all, immediately after his death, a French doctor measured Napoleon's height and wrote down: 5 feet and 2 inches. If translated into centimeters, then Napoleon's height was 157 cm. It does not go well with the title of Emperor and the conqueror of Europe. But what if it's a mistake? After all, Napoleon's height was measured, as already mentioned, by a French doctor, which means that he wrote it down in French feet and inches. But now no one uses such units of measurement - the English foot (0.3048 m.), which is smaller than the French one (0.3248 m.), is taken as the basis. If we calculate the height of the emperor in French feet, then it will be 168 cm. Considering that this height was recorded by the emperor at the age of 51, it can be argued that in his youth his height could be 170 cm.
“Better, but still not enough. On the bus, you can’t even reach the handrail.” — a modern person will think and be wrong. Indeed, over the past two centuries, the average height of a person has constantly increased. For example, at the end of the 18th century it was 165cm. It turns out that Napoleon could even be considered tall among his contemporaries!
But many witnesses claimed that the Corsican was short in stature. There are several explanations for this. First, the proportionately large size of the head made Napoleon look shorter than he really is. In addition, the emperor appeared in public, surrounded by tall, strong guards, in comparison with which any person would seem short. Another reason why Napoleon seemed short was… Parisian fashion. In that era, high hats were considered the most fashionable, which increased the height of their owners, while Napoleon preferred his famous hat with a low fit.
Hat of Napoleon Bonaparte (was sold at auction for 1.5 million euros) Not the last role in shaping the image of Napoleon among people was played by enemy propaganda, which quickly seized on the rumors and began to present the Corsican as a kind of restless dwarf.
It is interesting: probably everyone has heard about such a psychological disease as the “Napoleon complex”. It is believed that people who have and are ashamed of any physiological abnormalities possess it, whether it be short stature or, for example, a flabby stomach. Not being able to achieve recognition with the help of beauty, they develop their willpower and intellect, try to lead an active lifestyle in order to always be the first. But, as we see, the term "Napoleon complex" could hardly be applied to the French emperor himself. Yes, he was active and purposeful, but he had no reason to be complex about his growth.
How tall was Napoleon?
History creates myths. People create myths about themselves. But the truth is that history is still created not by myths, but by real people, who are sometimes difficult to discern in characters known to all. It so happened that the banal question of the growth of the French emperor turned into one of the great mysteries of history.
Of course, Napoleon was short. Everyone has heard about it. But what? The Wax Museum tours the cities of Russia. The height of Napoleon's figure is 157 cm. Museum workers are trying to be true to historical truth. You can find the same number in different sources. However, in several French novels, Napoleon's height ranges from 166 to 172 cm. And this discrepancy is suggestive.
Where did the number 157 come from? This is similar to metricizing 5 feet 2 inches. Which would be 157.58 cm if the units of measurement were English. However, over the past century or two, people have managed to forget that feet are not only English, and almost no one bothers to imagine that the short stature of the French emperor is somewhat ... exaggerated.
Napoleon. The question of his height is one of the mysteries of history.
Napoleon's height was indeed 5 feet 2 inches and 4 lines - so recorded after his death. But this is 168.79 cm. Rejecting the error (2 mm), we can talk about 169 cm. argue that Napoleon's height at the time of his career's rise was no less than 170 cm. Which is not so small, especially given the acceleration that has happened since then: the average male height has increased by about 10 cm over the past two centuries. in fact, he did not reach the grenadier height of only 3-4 cm.
Napoleon's height - 169 cm - is also indicated in the "Napoleon's Dictionary" edited by J. Tulard.
Why did the growth of Napoleon during his lifetime become the talk of the town?
Perhaps due to the features of addition. Napoleon had a large head from birth, and the general disproportionality influenced the perception of him as a man. Moreover, the young Bonaparte looked almost like a boy. And the commander-in-chief of the Italian army could earn the nickname "little corporal" not so much for his short stature, but for his childhood. A thin, fragile general could not look tall. It is also known that the majority of Napoleon's generals were tall, even very tall (at that time). But one cannot imagine that Napoleon, like Louis XIV, would put decks of cards in his shoes in order to appear taller. A disgraceful reception for his vanity! On the contrary, he begins to cultivate his difference.
The boy-general who conquered Italy, the "little corporal" - this is only the beginning of the image of the modest ruler of the world, who will be remembered not in gold and feathers, but in a gray overcoat without insignia. Even from the cocked hat, he will tear off the uniform gold embroidery, leaving only the tricolor French cockade. He will appear in a simple uniform, the shortest of the tall, gold-gleaming aides-de-camp. The gaze immediately stops at him - in contrast. And this modest appearance is so contrary to the height of his position that it cannot but impress the eyewitnesses. (Does this not resemble the later modest jacket without insignia and overcoat of Joseph Vissarionovich?)
Was Napoleon's height the cause of his complexes? It can be seen that the growth of the emperor is not so small that he could suffer greatly because of this. But Napoleon was certainly ambitious and definitely had some kind of inferiority complex. However, there is no mention in the memoirs of Napoleon that the future emperor was teased as a child because of his height. And it was hard to scoff at his height if Napoleon's main school opponent (and then the opponent on the battlefield) Le Picard de Felippo was half a head shorter than him!
There were much more significant reasons for the complex. All memoirists tell how French classmates reproached the Corsican for his origin. At the age of nine, Napoleon was brought to the country that had conquered his homeland. He was the son of a man who fought against the French. He spoke the language of the conquerors badly. He had an unusual name for France. And he was also poor. Lots of reasons to be the best school whipping boy.
So, the true source of the "Napoleon complex" was his, Napoleon's origin. During his studies at the Paris Military School, he will be among the representatives of the highest French aristocracy. And the humiliation to which they subject him will not pass without a trace for him. He constantly had to defend himself - one against all. To become equal with them, he simply needed to be better than them. And all his life he will try to prove to everyone and everyone that he is not only no worse, but better than others.
“The thought that I was not the first student in the class was unbearable for me,” he later recalled. A fierce self-esteem will lead him from irreconcilable school fights, first to the ranks of the fighters for Corsican independence, and then to the French Revolution. Thus the conquered will become the conqueror.
He will deride, as he deserves, attempts to establish his descent from Charlemagne or from Julius Caesar. He will refuse to take into account even the undeniably noble lineage of his undoubted ancestors. He will place all his virtues in his own merits. And this is not so much modesty as ambition.
He will not be ashamed of his impoverished lieutenancy. He will allow himself to say to the crowned persons sitting at the table with him: “When I was a second lieutenant ...” And, seeing the general confusion, he will repeat with cheerful boyish impudence: “When I had the honor of being a second lieutenant ...”
The question of the growth of Napoleon Bonaparte is not only a question of a specific anthropometric indicator. A “short” or, conversely, “tall” person is in the eyes of others. This is determined by how the height of a particular person correlates with the average height.
Napoleon's height in centimeters
In 1821 the deposed man died on the island of St. Helena. Immediately after his death, Napoleon's personal physician performed an autopsy, and the results were recorded. Fixed in these records and the growth of Napoleon. The doctor wrote it down as "5/2". He probably used the French system of measurements, and this is like "5 feet 2 inches." If given in the English system, which is somewhat different from the French, it will be 5 feet 6.5 inches.
If we translate these data into the modern metric system, we get 169 cm. For modern man this is really below average growth, but still not so much that a person feels like a "short man" and suffers from an inferiority complex!
Origin of the legend
To a certain extent, Napoleon himself contributed to the popular idea of \u200b\u200bhis small stature. Having come to power in 1799, Bonaparte introduced special requirements for soldiers serving in certain military branches. So, only people whose height was at least 170 cm (in the system of that time - 5 feet 7 inches) could enter the service in the elite regiment of horse rangers. Even more radical was the requirement for the Imperial Guard grenadiers to be at least 178 cm (5 ft 10 in) tall.
In other words, without exception, all the soldiers were taller than Napoleon himself. Appearing with them "in public", he really could seem undersized.
Another possible source of the "short emperor" legend is the difference between French and English measurement systems. As already mentioned, Bonaparte's personal physician recorded his height using French units. But English inches, bearing the same name, had a different meaning. 5 feet 2 inches in the English system is 157.48 cm. It is this height that wax figure Napoleon, presented in one of the Russian museums.
