4: Napoleon Wasn’t That Shor

Napoleon Bonaparte is famously remembered as a short man with a big ego, but historical records show he was actually around 5'6" to 5'7"—average height for a Frenchman in his time. The belief that he was unusually short came from a combination of measurement confusion (French vs. British units) and British wartime propaganda. British cartoonists exaggerated his height to mock and undermine him during France’s conflicts with Britain, creating a lasting public image of Napoleon as a “tiny tyrant.” This stereotype stuck, eventually evolving into the term “Napoleon complex.” The episode reveals how propaganda, repetition, and powerful imagery can distort historical truth, reminding us to question what we’ve long believed—especially when it sounds like the perfect story. In reality, Napoleon’s small stature was just a big myth.