Napoleon Bonaparte

Napoléon Bonaparte was a famous French general and a military mastermind. He revolutionized the military applications of artillery, and routinely moved his troops faster and with fewer supplies than was then thought possible, allowing for unprecedentedly large and rapid concentrations of force against his slower and less adaptable enemies. He was the emperor of France from 1802-1814, and famously short. He rose to power by overthrowing the increasingly ineffective and bureucratic liberal councils which had taken power during the French Revolution. As his list of military victories lengthened, seized more and more domestic power, eventually becoming Emperor of a French state more centralized than ever before. He is most famous for his campaigns in Europe. His innovative victories achieved control over modern-day Spain, Italy, Germany, Austria, and Benelux before finally failing in Russia, due to the bitter winter weather and guerilla tactics employed by the remnants of the Russian army. In 1814 he was removed from power by a coalition led by the British, but was able to return the next year and overthrow the weak, newly restored monarchy. A vast coalition immediatly assembled to oust him, and he was decisively defeated in battle by General Wellington at the Battle of Waterloo.

Napoleon's ambition and drive inspired the term "Napoleonic Complex", which is used to describe a person who overcompensates for shortness or other physical deficiencies by excessive aggressiveness.