Napoleon is said to have been one of the shortest generals in history. For years people believed that his height was just 1.58 metres (5 feet 2 inches).
However, what most historians forgot was that Napoleon’s height had been measured in French units. When converted to Imperial units, this is 1.69 metres 5 feet 6.5 inches). His personal guards were part of an elite force of very tall soldiers. This also made him look smaller than he was.