Despite the common belief to the contrary, Napoleon Bonaparte was not unusually short in stature. There is no reason to believe that his lust for power arose from "little man syndrome." He actually was five feet six inches tall, which was typical for a Frenchman 200 years ago. Until around 1840, units of measurement in France were chaotic, inconsistent, changed every few years, and varied from region to region. It is believed that rumors of Napoleon's shortness stemmed from a mistranslation into English measurements of his height in French units.
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