The Napoleon complex is named after
Napoleon, the first
Emperor of the French.
Common folklore supposes that Napoleon compensated for his lack of height by seeking power, war, and conquest. This view was fostered and encouraged by the British, who waged a propaganda campaign to diminish their enemy in print and art, during his life and after his death. In 1803, he was mocked in British newspapers as a short-tempered small man.
[2] According to some historians, he was actually 5 feet 7 inches (1.70 metres) tall, an inch or so above the period's average adult male height, depending on the source chosen.
[3] Other historians assert that he was 5 feet 2 inches (1.57 metres) because he was measured on a British island 28 years after the French adopted the metric system.
[4] Napoleon was often seen with his
Imperial Guard, which contributed to the perception of his being short because the Imperial Guards were tall men. Other names for the purported condition include
Napoleonic complex,
Napoleon syndrome and
Short man syndrome.
[5][6][7][4]