12 Historical "Facts" That Simply Aren't True

6. Emperor Napoleon Was Not Extremely Short... He Was Taller Than The Average French National At The Time

Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte led the French Empire into many wars following the French Revolution and, as well as being regarded as one of the most brutal dictators and most-accomplished military leaders in history, he is remembered as having been extremely short. Now, although it is true that Napoleon only stood at a mere 5ft 7ins tall, this was not an uncommon height for men in early-19th-Century Europe - and, in fact, it was above average for French nationals at the time (5ft 5ins).

Part of the confusion about his height may have arisen from the fact that in the early-1800s Napoleon was registered as being 5ft 2ins - but that was still using pre-French Revolution units, which differ from modern-day measurements.

"Le Petit Caporel" ("The Little Corporal") may have been known as such, but "Angry Little-Man Complex" - sometimes referred to as "Napoleon Syndrome" - has seemingly been unfairly attributed to the former French leader.