Napoleonic complex: the shortest giants in history
Napoleonic complex: the shortest giants in history

Video: Napoleonic complex: the shortest giants in history

Video: Napoleonic complex: the shortest giants in history
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Napoleon Bonaparte and Nicolas Sarkozy
Napoleon Bonaparte and Nicolas Sarkozy

World history knows many cases when, as a result of complexes due to small growth, politicians showed more persistence in achieving goals and more ambition than their competitors, and achieved success. They managed not only to satisfy personal ambitions, but also to influence the course of history. So they became real giants. Lenin, Stalin, Khrushchev, Kim Jong Il, Yasser Arafat, Sarkozy - which of them really suffered complex of Napoleonand why myself Napoleon cannot be included in the top ten the shortest rulers?

Napoleon Bonaparte
Napoleon Bonaparte

The most common myth about Napoleon is his small height, 157 cm. However, this figure appeared as a result of converting 5 feet 2 inches into the metric system, in English units of measurement. But feet are also French, and by these standards it is 169 cm! At that time, this was the average height of men in France. There is a version that the British called Napoleon a short man.

Growth of world leaders
Growth of world leaders

Napoleon received the nickname "little corporal" not because of his height, but because of his age - the commander-in-chief at that time was 24 years old. In addition, his physique was disproportionate: a large head and a small torso created the visual illusion of small stature. Napoleon always stooped and walked with his head slightly bowed, looking at his interlocutors from under his brows. Where did the "Napoleon complex" come from?

The rise of Russian rulers
The rise of Russian rulers

Bonaparte was not small enough to suffer because of this. At a young age, he felt much more discomfort due to his origin, strong accent and a ridiculous name for the French. All his life he tried to prove his superiority, to be the best of the best. The complex really was.

The rise of Russian rulers
The rise of Russian rulers

Since then, when low politicians demonstrate excessive ambition, this is called the "Napoleon complex": psychologists claim that with their successes in political activity they seek to compensate for a physical disability. There are a lot of such examples in history. Only among the Russian rulers, half are rather short: Lenin - 164-165 cm, Stalin - 162-164 cm, Khrushchev - 160-166 cm, Medvedev - 162-163 cm. The numbers vary within 3-6 cm, as in different sources indicate different indicators.

Kim Jong Il
Kim Jong Il

For a long time, the shortest current ruler was called Kim Jong Il - the leader of North Korea. With a height of 160-162 cm (according to unofficial sources - even 157 cm), he preferred to wear a high haircut and chose shoes with a high platform. French President Nicolas Sarkozy also resorted to this trick - shoes that increase his height by 9 cm, although it can hardly be called very low - 168 cm.

Nicolas Sarkozy, Dmitry Medvedev, Angela Merkel, Barack Obama
Nicolas Sarkozy, Dmitry Medvedev, Angela Merkel, Barack Obama
Barack Obama and Nicolas Sarkozy during a speech
Barack Obama and Nicolas Sarkozy during a speech

The world's lowest ruler was Benito Juarez, who served as President of Mexico five times. His height was only 135 cm. One of the most radical political figures of the second half of the twentieth century was also not tall. Yasser Arafat - 155-157 cm.

Benito Juarez
Benito Juarez
Yitzhak Rabin, Bill Clinton, Yasser Arafat
Yitzhak Rabin, Bill Clinton, Yasser Arafat

At the same time, as a rule, undersized men with a Napoleon complex do not suffer from a lack of female attention: despite their complex nature and internal contradictions, they attract women with internal strength, determination, intelligence, and the ability to subordinate people to their will. Thanks to this, they achieve success in both public and private life. An example of this is 10 great dwarfs who left their mark on world history

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