Napoleon Bonapart
Devon Proudfoot
While Napoleon had a rather elevated career and influence over the modern world, he was not portrayed the same way. Although nearly every historical figure has been inaccurately depicted through political cartoons, none of them caught on as quickly as the image of Napoleon. Typically the cartoons depicted him as a short man with an over-sized hat and as a sort of bossy character. So many of these images of an under-sized commander appeared that many believed Napoleon to be an extremely short man.This portrayal became so popular that the idea of the “Napoleonic Complex” became a psychological occurrence in people. This phrase was used to describe people who were extremely authoritative and aggressive in order to make up for their small stature. Many short men had this phrase used to describe them if they acted in the same way that Napoleon had been represented in these caricatures. This idea helped to push the view of this tiny, yet powerful commander.
Even though this idea across the world and the minds of those who learned about him, it might not have been the most accurate way to remember this man. While history books have not taught students about the true build of this historical figure, popular culture has drilled it into the minds of many. This may not have been fact as Napoleon was actually the average height for the time period that he lived in. The initial confusion occurred due to the difference between the inch and the pouce, the French unit of measurement.
Outside of these political cartoons, Napoleon was estimated to have been around 5’7” tall, which would have been an average height for a man living in the 1800’s. While this may not be extremely tall for a modern-day man, it is far from the miniature man portrayed in the cartoons. Another reason why Napoleon became known as such a small man resulted from his elite guards. These elite guards were the tallest and strongest men of the army, typically around 6’0”. When standing next to these men, it made Napoleon look much shorter than normal. Very interesting!
While Napoleon’s physical stature may not have matched up with his rather large ego, the miniature portrayal in political cartoons is not the most accurate representation. After years and decades of these caricatures being released in the papers, they changed the perception of history students everywhere. While Napoleon may not have been the only historical figure to have had his perception changed by cartoons, his is probably the most popular.
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