Napoleon Bonaparte was actually taller than the average man of his time.

Napoleon stood about 5 feet 7 inches (170 cm) tall. In the early 1800s, the average French man was only 5 feet 5 inches (165 cm). This means the famous general was actually a bit taller than most people he met.The myth of him being tiny started because of a math mistake. When he died in 1821, his height was recorded as 5 feet 2 inches using French units. However, a French inch was longer than a British inch. When the British heard the number, they didn't realize the units were different and thought he was tiny.British artists like James Gillray used this mistake to make fun of him. They drew cartoons of 'Little Boney' to make him look like a grumpy child. This was a form of propaganda to make the enemy leader seem less scary to the public.Napoleon also had an elite group of bodyguards called the Imperial Guard. To join this group, soldiers had to be very tall, often 6 feet (183 cm) or more. Since he was always surrounded by these giants, he looked short in comparison. Doctors who checked his body after he died confirmed his real height, proving he wasn't short at all.