In addition, he reportedly liked to surround himself with very tall soldiers as a military tactic.Īnother factor also may have affected our understanding of Napoleon’s height. In fact, propaganda was created in other countries both before and after his death to perpetuate the rumor that he was extremely short. His nickname, “ le petit caporal,” was really just a term of endearment rather than a jab at his height, but his enemies used it against him. The rumors started for a number of reasons. Why Do People Think Napoleon Was So Short?
