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Daniel says on 1/Jul/08
That makes sense to me, historymajor. historymajor20 says on 15/Jun/08
Napoleon was never a corporal. he went to a military academy and started as a lieutenant, like anyone who graduates from a military institute. he was most likely 5'6 or 5'7, slightly taller than the average male, but not noticeably. and if a woman companion of 5'5 or 5'4 was to wear heels they would be very similar in height. if napoleon was 5'7 with his boots, she would be 5'7 with heels. it would not look well since the average male would be taller than the average female.
1.87 cm says on 15/Jun/08
oh really i cant believe that the average height was so short these times.It was because of bad health and diet.that explains that kings were rather tall Anonymous says on 11/Jun/08
almost 5'7"?? but then he wasn't really short!!! by everyone talks about it seemed he was like 5'3" or something like that...incredible! Aimie says on 31/May/08
That is incorrect.Actually Napoleon's autopsy report states that he was about 5'2 (British inches)which would be the equivalent of 1.57 meters. His doctor and valet got him measured right after he died. Some people claim those are actually "French inches" which would make him a bit taller but Elba was British territory. They used proper British inches to measure Napoleon.
Also, Bernard Chevallier in a recent biography of Empress Josephine states that she was asked not to wear high heels because she looked much taller than Napoleon. From her dresses at Malmaison, we know she was something between 5'4'' or 5'5'' tall, which confirms the theory that Napoleon was merely 5'2'' tall. The average height of a male in Europe in the late 18th century was around 5'5'' which means Napoleon was considered short even in his time... Gutierrez says on 18/May/08
In a swedish best-selling biography, Napoleon is compared to the average swedish soldier at that time. An average swede was 166cm and Boney was 168,8. In fact, this all-time-short-tyrant, was over an inch taller than an average swede! BTW, the swedes have now an average height over 180cm... But! There is a logical explanation to Napoleons mark as a short-guy, his companion, Jean-Baptiste Bernadotte, which later was to become his enemy and king of Norway and Sweden, was 185cm from top to toe. So... when they were standing next to each other, this Bernadotte outdwarfed Napoleon like hell! This started all the rumours and then the difference between the french and the british unit sealed the rumours in Britain and the word spread out! Manitobaboy says on 18/Apr/08
I think that pretty much seals the debate, Parker. Good job. Parker says on 20/Mar/08
There is an Article on Wikepedia regards Napoleans height, and it all comes down to whether the French unit of measure (2.71cms = 1 inch)at the time was used to measure him at his Autopsy. If yes, he was approx 168cms. If the British unit was used (2.54)then he was 157cms. Guess what....NOBODY knows what unit of measure they used.Some argue as he was under British rule they would have used the 2.54,others argue that his doctor hated the Brits and would not have used that system. So he could have been 5'2, or 5'6........and 200 years after his death I doubt we'll ever find out! marco says on 11/Mar/08
I read that Napoleon was vey short.I think that 1m69 is impossible.My teacher said 1m52.
Other celebs of the past;carlo alberto I(king of Italy)was 2,04 barefoot;Amedeo II di Savoia(prince of Italy) was 1,98 barefoot(source:italian army). Manitobaboy says on 3/Mar/08
5'6" in late 18th and early 19th century Europe would not have been considered short. It's only been in the last century or so that average heights have approached the 5'8" - 5'10" range for Euro-Western men (essentially white). For a Corsican, he would have been moderately tall at 5'6" and probably average among the French. I'd review this, if I was you. louis says on 27/Jan/08
hello I m french and a history teatcher and I can to give you a few heights
louis 14 was 157cm
francois 1er Was 195cm
louis XVI was 192cm
napoléon was 157CM and not 169 cm Anonymous says on 26/Dec/07
I think that if Napolean is added a great human being like Mahatma Gandhi should also be added :) hi says on 17/Dec/07
I still don't understand why you wouldn't put Nicolas Sarkozy up there too, Rob. He's height complexed and reported at various heights, too. Anonymous says on 15/Dec/07
My 8th grade History teacher said he was only 4 feet tall. Then my 9th grade teacher laughed at us when we told her that. She said he was 5'4", but I'm not sure what her source was. Short dudes always make the coolest bad guys, they always seem so fiesty! Socom says on 8/Dec/07
I have even heard he was 5'7. For some reason I have always wanted him to be 5'2. I guess because the thought of someone of small stature being so powerful was kind of encouraging. Not that Im short(I am 5'10). david says on 10/Nov/07
carlo alberto I,king of italy,was 2,05.
Click Here luca says on 9/Nov/07
octavianus augustus was 1,71(source:italian enciclopedy);for jesus chirist I read the exams of syndon(some sources give him at 1,78 other at 1,87;he was tall). Anonymous says on 19/Oct/07
does anyone of you know julius caesar, octavianus augustus and jesus christ's height?? ted says on 10/Oct/07
Dumas said that his father(the general of the army) was 1,95. Dwayne says on 23/Sep/07
His guards were 5'10" in the French measure... which translated to 6'2". I've read a person say he was measured at 5'2" 3 lines (1/4th an inch) and 5'2" and 6 lines (1/2th an inch) while alive, in French inches. As well as a British man measured him at 5'7". At death, he was measured at 5'2" 4 lines (1/3rd of an inch)--I think evidence is fairly clear which system they used. Lmeister says on 7/Sep/07
He was 5'6.5'' it was a convertion erro. He was surrounded by tall guards (5'10'' min) thats why he looked short in the paintings. David says on 6/Sep/07
So i think Napoleon was really 5'2, since i dont think they were going to measure him in french inches in an island ruled by the British empire, also look at his paintings, mmm he looks shorter than normal, and normal in that time was 5'4" for most french soldiers. shikoku says on 11/Jul/07
He was somewhere between 167 and 169 what was as tall as the Average Frenchman but don't forget hes Italian who where a bit smaller... tom says on 3/Jun/07
amedeo II di savoia was 1,98
Click Here Melle says on 27/Apr/07
The avg French man's height in Bonaparte's time was 5ft5. Many books account that Napoleon stood below this average. Matt says on 23/Jan/07
The reason Bonaparte has been given the reputation of being short is because he was typically seen with rather large body guards in public. Given the charicatures created of our current world-leaders I'm not surprised that the public "belittled" Bonaparte. I'm also not surprised that there is almost no mention of the fact that this guy actually did have a last name. horacle says on 10/Jan/07
The french guys are not short anymore. I'm french I'm a solid 5'9 and i'm feel really short. Where i live the average height is 5'11. ice says on 7/Dec/06
Hmm... Maybe the average height given at 5ft were also in french increments. That would make Napolean's 5'2 become 168 cm, and the average height at that time would be 163 cm. This would make sense. Him being six inches over the average height does not. If a man is 6'4 today, and hung around men that were all 7 ft, would you call him short? I think not. He would be tall, and the others would be freakishly tall. leonari says on 3/Oct/06
if he truly was 169 he was quite tall for his time!!! Even nowadays there are many short guys in France who are below this mark... Glenn says on 2/Oct/06
Wow.I thought he was 5-4. Rut says on 1/Oct/06
I am now convinced that this height is correct or near what he really he was, really not that small for that time, I saw his costume many years ago and maybe due to other stories misjudge that he was much shorter. Massimo says on 1/Oct/06
JDrozen:
how do you know that Mozart was 5'4" ? I mean,his body was never found...Thanks.I'm a huge Mozart's fan! Napoleone was 5'6" 1/2, the right height for a male human being! Anshelm says on 24/Jul/06
Trueheight is right: 5'2" in old French units is NOT 169 cm/5'6½". And I'll add a decimal to that: one French inch was 2.707 cm, therefore 168 cm/5'6" is closer: 62 × 2.707 cm = 167.834 cm (or 66.076 in). JDrozen says on 25/May/06
Message to Editor Rob: If you can add Napoleon's height can you add the height of his contemporaries? : Beethoven and Mozart both 5.4 Adan from Oz says on 24/Apr/06
As a French speaker, "le petit caporal" shouldn't be translated as "the little corporal". It shows the regard he was held in and closeness he had with his troops. "Petit" used this way is a term of endearment. ForensicNYC says on 13/Apr/06
Napoleon was 6'1"...with his hat on... trueheight says on 7/Apr/06
the french feet system was 2.71cm per inch hence, in France, Napoleon was regarded as 5'2in. but the standard(english) feet system is 2.54cm per inch hence 168cm or just over 5'6 Anonymous says on 11/Mar/06
The myth that Napoleon was a diminutive man was started in part by English caricatures of him during the time. His old guard and his personal guard were also made up of tall men (5'10 upwards, which was very tall in early 19th century France) who accompanied him. So it would be closer to the truth to say that Napoleon was always the short man around tall men. sf says on 4/Mar/06
I gotta say I find it interesting that we're including A French leader from the early 1800's as a "Celebrity!" And, now I see just how old Frank2 is if he actually knew him!
[Editor Rob: he's only here because he's had a height complex named after him and has been reported at 2 different heights through history...] Frank2 says on 4/Mar/06
Just kidding! Frank2 says on 4/Mar/06
Knew him too and he was five-three. PhilinYuma says on 20/Feb/06
I have read the comments in this thread with great interest. I have no problem with Napoleon's height being the accepted 168.6-169cm, but like stAs, I have wondered why a a normal sized man would be known as "the little corporal". Perhaps he wasn't. I had hoped that there was a French equivalent of the English rank of lance corporal (U.S. PFC)but found nothing. When I looked up "petit" in my old Larouse, however, I found that it can mean, aside from "small", "young" and "of humble origin", "Terme d'affection ous de mepris" (a term of affection or scorn) much as "old" is used in English, as in "old man" or "old iron pants". "Le petit caporal" then, may be a term of affection used by his troops and a reminder of his humble bith. I would be very interested to hear an evaluation of this idea from someone whose idiomatic French is much better than mine. stAs says on 14/Feb/06
I think its a mistake to put Napoleon at 169cm, if he remained famous as a small man it means that he was really short, 169cm for 18th century is like 180cm for 21st century so probably he was under 160cm dr. wu says on 11/Feb/06
People can't seem to comprehend that average human heights will change with time. Napoleon was indeed 5'6, which was an average height during his era. MeLiSsA says on 23/Jan/06
5'6 is short for a guy. I mean it's not like he was a midget, but if this was his real height than he was short. Orlando says on 10/Jan/06
In 1784 (when Napoleon was 14-15 years old) inspector Keralio reports his height as "quatre pieds, dix pouces, dix lignes" (French 4ft 10in 10 lines). That's 1.59 m (or English 5 ft 2.5-2.75 in). So, no big deal if he had grew up to 1.69 m...
In the past, POOR people were quite short, but middle/high class people were as tall as they are now, I think. Napoleon parents were not wealthy people and maybe he had poor nutrition as a child. rut says on 31/Dec/05
Average height for men was 5ft??
Interesting, but I'm skeptical about Napoleon being 5 6 or 7..
It still think it would be interesting to add "the lord" to this site... Italian University Librarian says on 3/Dec/05
On 2 December 1805, Napoleon's Grande Armée (including the Italian Royal Guard) gained the battle of Austerlitz. In 1805, minimum heights in the army of the Kingdom of Italy (Napoleon was king of Italy since 17 March 1805) were: 159.8 cm in the light infantry; 162.5 cm in the line infantry; 165.2 cm for the foot gardes d'honneur of the Royal Guard and for the vélites of the same Guard; 167.9 cm for the mounted gardes d'honneur of the Royal Guard; 170.6 cm in the cavalry; 173.3 cm in the artillery and in the corps of engineers; 176.0 cm for the grenadiers of the Royal Guard. Gotxo says on 28/Nov/05
A faithful source.
They were aware of if the data they were pikcing was pied or foot? Marc says on 27/Nov/05
I read in Maxim that he was 5'4" Gotxo says on 2/Nov/05
historian:
Take this on account, many books that came from the anglosaxon world reflect that confussion between inch & pouces and feet and pied, pies and etc... Your affirmation can be traced in so accurate books (except for those mistakes)as "The experience of war in the age of reason" in eg.
It's a good book and has good sources but the enlgish trend to belive that in the world only exists their measures and such. Thus that anglocentric vision promotes despise for others.
The french started early appliying statistics to both militar & civil use.
Those measures were made by french staff and based on french measure sistems.
Or do you belive that an english spy came to measure frenchmen by himself.
However those data weren't converted to the proper english measures:
5 pieds de roi are 162cm, (the books talks of the pre-napoleonic era).
And yes the Legionaries collected so many success due to their organization & stragegy (not height of course) but consider that they were present in both the Republic & Imperium ages of rome (big time span), and they involve foreign made corps too. So maybe we both are reporting accurate data. Historian says on 2/Nov/05
I wrote that since medical formulas say that u dont grow more than 2 or 3 inches past 15 years old in most cases, the average height in Napoleon army was 5 feet(1.53cm) so its possible and believable that he was below 5'6"(1.69cm), did i say u are saying rubbish just because u believe that people from that time was tall? i just said and its a fact that both french and italians(Latins)were shorter than europeans from north ie:scotch,nordics.
Roman legionnaires were 5'4" on average they succeed for their good discipline and outstanding military tactics. Gotxo says on 29/Oct/05
Yeah Bleemo, it has been said many times that Charles Magne was 6 feet. The Saint Shroud of Turin in reality was made in the middle ages using a technique in wich a man lies beneath the shroud and some pigment is applied. Well to make that was necessary a person, and that one was 180cm. Some Cromagnon (homo sapiens) remains in Basque country measures between 172-186cm. I personally measured with a tape measure the tombs of the necrópolis of Cuyacabra (spain- not yet stablished if bronze age or middle ages) and were between 160-187cm.
Napoleon being 169cm is not only possible but belivable. Gotxo says on 28/Oct/05
Historian:
Yo wrote rubbish, you only tell things because they acomodate to what you think.
Why a man in those ages could not grew more than 2 inches by the shake of what law? your whim's? The remainings of some medieval north african in Spain revealed that some where even 6'1". Some Scottish middleages male corpses were measured up to 5'8" y 6'1" in certain places. Those heights were reached in the past and are not privative of todays (yeah not usual but not exceptional).
Of course malnourishment could thwart a man's growth but you are not exposing reivindicable theories but fancies (put a reason there please). Italian University Librarian says on 28/Oct/05
I don't think that in Caesar's army many legionaries were 190 cm tall, if he wrote in "De bello Gallico", II, 30: "[...] plerumque omnibus Gallis prae magnitudine corporum suorum brevitas nostra contemptui est [...]" (all Gauls generally despise our short stature in comparison with the bigness of their bodies). Napoleon was said to be born in 1768 because he added one year to his real age when he married Joséphine, who was born in 1763, but declared herself born in 1767. When Napoleon was Emperor of the French and King of Italy, in the Italian Royal Almanac he resumed his real birth date, 15 August 1769, whereas Empress and Queen Joséphine was said to be born in 1768, in the same page in which her son Prince Eugène-Napoléon, viceroy of Italy, was said to be born in 1781 (this was true). Napoleon would have had no reason neither for declaring himself younger than his brother Joseph, giving up his primogeniture, nor for declaring himself born on 15 August, one of the main Roman Catholic feasts, the Assumption of the Virgin (note that Napoleon got 15 August celebrated as his saint's day, and this was a problem in Catholic contries like France and Italy). Historian says on 27/Oct/05
People in the past lacked the nutrition of these days, so most of them(europeans)couldnt grow more than 2 inches in that time, as Mr.librarian says they werent tall, and i know many people who didnt grow more than 2 inches past 15 years old. About Napoleon birth in 1768 many are still researching on that, so its possible that he born in that year, and his brother Joseph(Giuseppe)born in January 7 1768 not in 1769. Jason says on 27/Oct/05
I remember one of my Social Studies teachers in high school said the height limit in the Roman army was 193cm. sf says on 26/Oct/05
Are you kidding me, Historian? LOTS of guys grow LOTS of inches past the age of 14 or 15! Many, don't have their growth spurt until this age, or after. Me, personally - I grew about 10 inches past that age! Gotxo says on 26/Oct/05
Lol thnx librarian.
But i read somewhere tha roman legionaries where describeda as slim & tall at 170cm. I'm confused about that quote because it say they where roman legionaries but it doesn't state their origin though. Anyway is an historical fact that height in europe took a U shaped curve, being premedieval inhabitants taller than the later ones an that height was recovered slowly after middle ages. So a 170 cm roman might be possible, Mebbe i'm wrong, i accept comments as a way to improve. Italian University Librarian says on 26/Oct/05
I thank Señor Gotxo; but I would add that we the Italians are the legitimate descendants of the ancient Romans and of their Italic allies; and the average height of the Roman and Italic legionaries was a bit over 160 cm, a lot below the average height of the Gauls and of the Germans (over 175 cm). To Mr. Historian: Napoleon's birth date is surely 15 August 1769 (it's an unfounded tale that his father inverted birth certificates of Napoleon, born in 1768 before the French occupation of Corse, and of his brother Giuseppe, born in 1769 under that occupation, so Napoleon became a French subject since his birth and could be commissioned in the French army; in reality, the Corsicans weren't French citizens until 1789). Gotxo says on 26/Oct/05
Sorry historian, can't agree with you.
Nowadays kids grown much faster than in the past, but anyways he had a big time-span for grewth. One of my friends was 5'7 when seventeen and now is 6'3".
A rare case, i know, but serves us well to prove that his height at that eraly age is unconclusive, i even was 162cm when thirteen and now i'm 180cm.
We have the historical fact of his corpse measurement @ 169, he might very well reached that height gaining 9-10cm from his initial 159cm when 14 yold.
It doesn't make a nonsense to me but seems normal, whadda you think guys? Historian says on 25/Oct/05
I agree Napoleon was beetween 14 and 15 years old in that time,since his birth date was between 1768 & 1769, but most men dont grow more than 2 inches past that age. Gotxo says on 25/Oct/05
I don't think italians are smaller than french or spaniards. I think we're quite the same height: about 176-177cm for the thirty-somers and 178cm (if not a bit more) for those between 22-17 y old. And yeah, you the italians are great
Invented the Pasta, Alfa-Romeo, Ferrari, Ducati, have a great part in the design on many of the rockets the NASA launches, have characters as Umberto Eco and Dario Fo. And have more weight in the G7 than UK. Nothing to hide of in my opinion gotxo says on 24/Oct/05
Historianthen Napoleon was only 14 when that comment was done and not yet fully developed and take this on account:
POUCE is the french word for INCH, a pouce/francaise inch was=2,707cm
A ligne is the 12th part of a pouce, so its pouce/12= 0,225 cm
And the pied the roi is =32,484 cm
so 4 pied de roi= 129.936cm + 10 pouces= 27.07cm + 10 lignes=2.25cm
makes a bit more than 159cm. And as said before he was not grown totally yet Italian University Librarian says on 24/Oct/05
In 1783 the future Emperor of the French and King of Italy (genealogically the Italianest king of Italy from the 5th until the 20th century) was 14 years old. Not because I am the Italian below the average height that I am, but I would say it's very wrong to judge Italian generals according to their height. King Louis XIV of France refused to give Prince Eugenio of Savoy a rank in the French army for lack of height; then the Italian prince became one of the greatest military leaders in history as a general in the Austrian army, and defeated French troops several times. Historian says on 24/Oct/05
Keralio wrote that description in 1783,and i dont see any cruel comments there unless u take the truth about the height of Napoleon as cruel, by the way my ancestors are both latin and German.
Gotxo says on 22/Oct/05
Lol, you the anglosaxons always have the need to despise us the latins.
Are the cruel comments a way to improve your opinions on you?
You mention an istorical comment, but you don't mention the year in wich it was done:
Napoleón first started the militar ecole of Brienne in 5th of may of 1779.
So normal he was this short, and yeah the Pied de roy don't equal the english foot,it was 32,48 cm , as the Castilian foot is 27,86 cm not the 30,54cm of the english one. Further more, even in some regions of the same european country an length measure was distinct than the same-named one in other ones.
(Have i depicted the complexity of the old Europe to your american mind?)
P.D That was 'fore the introduction of the metrical system, now used world wide
(That remebers me another european tale: "In the region of armorica a little village still resist the roman empire...) :P Historian says on 22/Oct/05
5´2 in french inches..mmm well the following note is a REAL historical description of Napoleon height wrote by a french Military Inspector:
Report by Keralio, the Inspector of Military Schools, when Napoleon was in school at Brienne: "Monsieur de Buonaparte (Napoleon), born August 15th 1769. Height: 4 feet 10 inches and ten lignes. Physique: good. Health: excellent. His character displays docility, honesty and a sense of gratitude. His conduct is blameless. Has regularly distinguished himself by his diligence in Mathematics. Shows sufficient acquaintance with History and Geography, but is weak at exercises and recreation. Should make an excellent naval officer. Deserves to be entered for the Ecole Militaire at Paris."
4`10 french inches that is ,in english inches would be 5`2 !!, so he was clearly short for a General.
[Editor Rob: that is conflicting to what other reports say. I've no idea the accuracy of either to be honest...5ft 2 or 5ft 6.5! take your pick!] Italian University Librarian says on 14/Oct/05
I agree Napoleon was 1.69, this is the height measured on his corpse. Many people believe he was very short because English caricaturists portrayed him so. By the same reason in Italy many people believe that our Prime Minister Berlusconi is very short, but he is an over 65 years Italian man of average height (I stood near him some times); Italian left-wing caricaturists portray him shorter than our President of Republic Ciampi, even if Berlusconi is a lot taller than Ciampi. John B says on 7/Oct/05
No wy was he 5' 6.5 No way! need to check this one! Name says on 15/Jun/05
Napoleon was 5'2" in French feet, which is 5'6.5" in English feet. The average man in his army was about five feet tall, and he was indeed taller than the average Frenchman of his day. Oxford Professor says on 21/Apr/05
One notes from the records:
Napoleon Bonaparte, Emperor Of France Stood 5ft 2in (5ft 6in) In English Feet.
I Do Hope That This Clears Up The Confusion, Ladies And Gentlemen.
He Was Rather A Large Man, In His Time, Where The Average Male Height Being Just 5ft (152cm) Anonymous says on 17/Apr/05
I read that he was 5'2" and that the average french man in that period was around five feet tall.
[Editor Rob: yes, yahoo has the answer on the 5ft 2 listing. I know around 1750 the average height of english men was just under 5ft...] |