The Napoleon complex, also known as Napoleon syndrome and short man syndrome, is a purported condition normally attributed to people of short stature, with overly aggressive or domineering social behavior. It implies that such behavior is to compensate for the subject's physical or social shortcomings. Both commonly, and in psychology, the Napoleon complex is regarded as a derogatory social stereotype.^[1] The Napoleon complex is named after Napoleon Bonaparte, the first Emperor of the French, who was estimated to have been 5' 2" tall (in pre–metric system French measures), which equals around 1.67 meters, or just under 5' 6" in imperial measure.^[2] He was of average height among all men in France, but was much shorter than the elite soldiers, aristocrats and high officials that he met with.

Etymology

The Napoleon complex is named after Napoleon, the first Emperor of the French. Common folklore supposes that Napoleon compensated for his lack of height by seeking power, war, and conquest. This view was fostered and encouraged by the British, who waged a propaganda campaign to diminish their enemy in print and art, during his life and after his death. In 1803, he was mocked in British newspapers as a short-tempered small man.^[3] He is estimated to have been 5' 2" tall (in pre–metric system French measures), which equals around 1.67 meters, or just under 5' 6" in imperial measure.^[2] This was slightly below the period's average adult male height, depending on the source chosen.^[4][5] Other historians assert that he was 5 feet 7 inches (1.70 metres) because he was measured on a British island 28 years after the French adopted the metric system.^[6] Napoleon was often seen with his Imperial Guard, which contributed to the perception of his being short because the Imperial Guards were tall men selected for their height.

Other names for the purported condition include Napoleonic complex, Napoleon syndrome and short man syndrome.^[7][8][9][6]

Research

Affirmative

Abraham Buunk, a professor at the University of Groningen in the Netherlands, found evidence of the Napoleon complex. Researchers at the university found that men who were 1.63 metres (5 ft 4 in) were 50% more likely to show signs of jealousy than men who were 1.98 metres (6 ft 6 in).^[7]

In 2018, evolutionary psychologist Mark van Vugt and his team at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam found evidence for the Napoleon complex in human males. Men of short stature behaved more (indirectly) aggressively in interactions with taller men. Their evolutionary psychology hypothesis argues that in competitive situations when males, human or nonhuman, receive cues that they are physically outcompeted, the Napoleon complex psychology kicks in: physically weaker males should adopt alternative behavioral strategies to level the playing field, including showing indirect aggression and coalition building.^[10]

Negative

In 2007, a study by the University of Central Lancashire concluded that the Napoleon complex is a myth. The study discovered that short men were less likely to lose their temper than men of average height. The experiment involved subjects dueling each other with sticks, with one subject deliberately rapping the other's knuckles. Heart monitors revealed that the taller men were more likely to lose their tempers and hit back. University of Central Lancashire lecturer Mike Eslea commented that "when people see a short man being aggressive, they are likely to think it is due to his size, simply because that attribute is obvious and grabs their attention".^[9]

The Wessex Growth Study is a community-based longitudinal study conducted in the UK that monitored the psychological development of children from school entry to adulthood. The study was controlled for potential effects of gender and socioeconomic status, and found that "no significant differences in personality functioning or aspects of daily living were found which could be attributable to height";^[11] this functioning included generalizations associated with the Napoleon complex, such as risk-taking behaviours.^[12]

In popular culture

Several politicians have been accused of having a Napoleon complex, such as Joseph Stalin, who was 5 ft 4 in (1.63 m) (according to 1902 police records), Harry Binns, who was 4 ft 11 in (1.50m) and Joseph Goebbels, who was 5 ft 5 in (1.65 m).^[13]

Singer-songwriter Mariah Carey referenced the Napoleon complex in her 2009 song "Obsessed", accusing someone of being "all fired up with [their] Napoleon complex". The song is believed by some to be a response to rapper Eminem, who had made disparaging remarks about Carey in multiple previous songs.^[14]

In the manga Fullmetal Alchemist and its various adaptations, protagonist Edward Elric is shown to have a Napoleon complex. Edward is noticeably short for his age (particularly compared to his younger brother Alphonse, who is a living suit of armor), is extremely sensitive about his short height and has a hair-trigger temper, and is frequently enraged and occasionally driven to violence whenever someone mentions that he's short, even innocently.^{[citation needed]}