What is the Napoleon complex in men: causes and signs

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In psychology, the Napoleon complex is a painful experience due to short stature. The name comes from Napoleon Bonaparte, known for his ambition and aggressiveness. He managed to conquer many countries without much difficulty, but he suffered incredibly from his small stature (about 157 cm). The length of his body stimulated him to perform feats and victories in order to compensate for his feelings of inferiority. In history, there are known individuals who suffered from short stature, but achieved success and fame. These include Lenin (164 cm), Stalin (162 cm), Hitler (165 cm). Small stature did not prevent Charlie Chaplin, Louis de Funes, Andrei Gubin and many other popular personalities from reaching career heights.

Attitudes to this issue of men and women

Men are more often predisposed to having such a complex (probably the whole point is that they perceive their own short stature more difficult than women).

For such people, the desire to assert themselves in society is considered an urgently necessary factor for a full-fledged existence. Since nature has deprived them of physical data, they begin to compensate for this deficiency with other qualities and talents. It is impossible to say unequivocally that this is bad, because thanks to this desire they become real professionals in their field. However, if recognition cannot be achieved “in a good way,” then cruelty and an obsessive desire to command begin to progress.

Women experience this problem much calmer. Firstly, it gives them the opportunity to seriously engage in ballet, acrobatics, and rhythmic gymnastics. Secondly, this gives them the right to choose from absolutely all men - both tall and short. So they definitely win.

Why growth?

The men's world before, and even now, has always been based on aggression. Attack, dominance, suppression in the world, physical, intellectual or social, imply large dimensions. When you see an ordinary cat in front of you, don’t worry, because even with claws and quick reaction, the most it will do is scratch.

It's another matter if there is a tiger in front of you. It's the same cat, but it's bigger, faster, and more agile than you, and the damage it will cause may be too serious.

In the physical world, size always matters. This is one of the signs of intimidation. And since men still instinctively compare themselves physically with potential competitors, being small is clearly not going to add points to them on the battlefield. If you are two meters tall, then girls pay attention to you and even with mediocre physical fitness you seem stronger than short men.

Low stature seems to signal that the opponent has nothing to fear. After all, if he is so low, then he doesn’t have much strength.

Today all this has little to do with reality. Height does not indicate social superiority, physical strength, or intelligence. But somewhere at the level of instincts, stereotypes persist and force us to look for other ways to assert ourselves.

Distinctive characteristics of people with a Napoleon complex

Any complex is always a mental deviation, so you can’t just let it all take its course and wait for it to go away on its own. If only simply because nothing ever goes away on its own.

People who are susceptible to this complex have common symptoms:

• the desire to assert oneself in society at any cost;
• imposing one’s point of view as the only correct one;
• painful pride;
• vindictiveness and rancor;
• perfectionism;
• increased demands on oneself and others;
• the desire to surround oneself with large and expensive things;
• choosing a disproportionately tall person as a companion.

Ways to combat the Napoleon complex

You can continue to live with a similar problem and ultimately become embittered at the whole world. If you do not want such an ending, you should pull yourself together and make every possible attempt to eliminate it.

Independent actions to get rid of the Napoleon complex

To love yourself and not allow suspiciousness to take over your mind, you need to take the following self-defense measures:

1. Analysis
   . Every person, even of small stature, should understand that he does not have a defect. He should accept himself as he came into this world. The main thing is that the arms and legs are intact, and the head remains in place - the statement of our ancestors. The rest was considered a whim and a consequence of laziness of the soul and body.
2. Trust in compliments
   . There is no need to look for a catch in every praise, because almost every person has his own complexes. You should give yourself the attitude that pleasant things are presented from the heart, and not in the form of veiled mockery.
3. Diet
   . Some people should think about the fact that with short stature, figure flaws are even more striking. A short, plump person seems even larger, so it’s time to worry about weight, and not about the complex being described. If a person who wants to lose weight does not know the recipes for a balanced diet, then he needs to consult a nutritionist.
4. Exercises for correct posture
   . A stooped back will make a visibly short person even smaller. Therefore, it is necessary to perform basic manipulations to level it every day. The easiest way is to walk around the room with a book on your head.

Features of visual increase in height

If all the arguments are useless, and the person continues to have complexes, then you can try to visually correct your height:

• High heels
  . This method is suitable for both women and men. Representatives of the stronger half of humanity can purchase special shoes with a high platform. Ladies are recommended models with thin high heels, ideally pumps, which not only visually make fashionistas taller, but also visually lengthen short legs. Bulky shoes and boots are not the best solution for short people. For men, it is best to opt for lightweight models without an elongated nose.
• The right accessories
  . Men should give up bulky bracelets and chains around their necks. Ladies should give preference to long beads (preferably three ropes) and dangling earrings. You can also decorate yourself with scarves that can wrap around your neck several times and fall freely down the sides to your hips.
• Smart clothing shopping
  . When choosing a design for a dress or suit, you should abandon horizontal lines, which not only make a person look fat, but also rob him of a couple of centimeters of height. Thin ties and belts are the ideal solution for a man with a Napoleon complex. Pants with arrows will also visually lengthen your legs; knee-length dresses are suitable for girls. Wearing capris and breeches should become a taboo, and you should also forget about low-waist jeans.
• High hairstyle
  . Curls raised at the roots (using wax or hair foam) can add a couple of centimeters to their owner. High ponytails and decorative decorations in the form of voluminous hoops also contribute to this. Men should cut their hair shorter, lifting their hair up. If you really want to wear long locks, you can shave the sides and put your hair in a stylish bun at the top.

Help from a psychologist with short man's syndrome

Specialists can do some work with a person who has a Napoleon complex. In most cases, they base therapy on the following methods:

1. Conversation with elements of suggestion
   . Psychologists usually provide their patients with statistics that demonstrate, better than any other evidence, some of the benefits of being short. Firstly, among such people the largest percentage of long-livers. Secondly, they are the least susceptible to any diseases.
2. The "don't judge for yourself" method
   . To some extent, this therapy resembles training under the guidance of a professional. With the help of well-chosen questions, the psychologist helps the patient understand the simple truth that you should not expect tolerant behavior from people who have offended you.
3. Visual propaganda method
   . To regain faith in your strengths and external attractiveness, experts advise reading the biography of people such as Louis XIV (Sun King of France, 156 cm), Ludwig Beethoven (composer, 160 cm), Madonna (singer, 160 cm) and other famous personalities .

How to get rid of the Napoleon complex - watch the video:

Signs of the Napoleon complex in men and women are expressed in most cases in the same way. The problem is solved both on a psychological level (a person learns to accept himself as he is) and on a visual change in external data. Only under such conditions can he try to get rid of it, using the advice in this article in practice.

Historical reference

It is no coincidence that this complex bears the name of the great French emperor - from history we know that Napoleon Bonaparte was short (only 162 centimeters), but this did not stop him from conquering all of Europe.

The Austrian scientist Alfred Adler, who was engaged in research on the topic of high levels of aggressiveness in short people, first became interested in these facts. This theory has both followers and opponents, but the term remains in active use today.

The main difference from other complexes

The Napoleon complex is one of the varieties of a global and general inferiority complex. But his main problem is that Napoleon never has enough.

Since childhood, we have been taught to compare ourselves with others, especially focusing on our negative sides. In such circumstances, anyone loses, and Napoleon even more so.

This is a special way of thinking: “I’m ashamed of my short height, but he has a cool car.” And it doesn’t matter that the other guy took out this car on credit at high interest rates, the only important thing is that he has it, and I’m short. This self-flagellation increases the degree of aggression and will only find a way out in buying a higher-class car, just to wipe your nose.

Napoleon is also destructive in relationships. To show others his success with women, he will change them like gloves, while remaining an incredibly jealous owner. If his third mistress only looked in the direction of another man without a second thought, this would cause the most painful experiences in Napoleon.

Particularly common misconceptions about short men

• short men are not sexy: on the contrary, high levels of testosterone make them more attractive (one of the most striking examples is Tom Cruise);
• women give preference to tall people because of the desire to feel protected and look up: now the ability to establish yourself in life, charisma and determination are much more valuable than height. In addition, nothing prevents short men from keeping themselves in good physical shape and actively playing sports. A striking example of success can be considered world boxing champion Jacob Matlala, whose height is only 147 centimeters.

Being short is not a death sentence at all. And besides, if you don’t want to play sports, no one is stopping you from being more active in brain training - everyone has the right to choose.

Definition

The Napoleon complex is a complex of certain psychological characteristics that are characteristic of people with pronounced physical disabilities. This does not necessarily have to be short stature, but also other fictitious or real problems with appearance.

This behavior is most often characteristic of men. To hide the problems of short stature, low income, and physical weakness, a man tries to compensate for all this with achievements, behind which no one pays attention to his shortcomings.

We can often see this in everyday life. For example, few people care about a man’s bald head, advanced age, or third chin if he has more money in his accounts than in the economy of a small state.

Complexes of short women.

The beautiful half of humanity, in general, by nature, is prone to worries about their appearance, and this does not depend on any specific factors (with any height, age, weight, hair color, a woman will find flaws in herself that will upset her).

If you look at it, then, in principle, all the dissatisfaction of short women comes down to two problems:

• lack of long legs and
• impossibility of becoming a model.

But can such a small thing really be considered a serious drawback for an intelligent woman who takes care of herself and knows how to present her strengths? Of course not. These are such little things that you shouldn’t even focus your attention on them.

The origins of the famous complex

The Napoleon complex in psychology is constantly accompanied by a man’s intense suffering about his small body, low level of strength and muscle mass; such people very often suffer from a feeling of imperfection. The internal struggle with his complexes forces the young man to actively develop his intellect, athletic and creative abilities. The desire to surpass the people around him forces a person to study a person or subject for a very long time, about which he can then talk for hours, becoming a scientific figure in this field of knowledge.

Alfred Adler was sure that a feeling of inferiority is present in every person . Since a child, being raised by his mother and father, understands that they are much smarter and stronger than him. The child's inferiority becomes the main impetus for his greater development: the desire to grow up as strong and tall as his father or as beautiful and kind as his mother. But if, due to his genetics or other factors, a child suddenly turns out to be shorter in height than his peers, then the feeling that he will still grow takes on a dominant form. Napoleon syndrome begins to manifest itself significantly after the child’s experiences due to an incorrect approach to education:

1. Parents do not give their child the opportunity to feel independent, be responsible for their actions and learn adult life. With regular supervision, parents demonstrate to the child that they are superior to him, thereby not allowing him to feel his strength and intelligence.
2. Hypocustody, which is formed due to the rejection of a child by parents. It develops an inferiority complex in the child, since at the same time he regularly feels unnecessary, unwanted, and also unsure of himself and his capabilities.

If errors in upbringing and lack of growth are combined together, then it will happen that the inferiority complex will not only become a negative driving force in the development of the child, but will also develop into a pathological complex, to which psychologists gave the name Napoleon complex.

Typology of passionate leaders

Passionarity is the innate ability of a person to take energy from the close natural environment and use it for the benefit of the development of the ethnic group. In the theory of L.N. Gumilyov, passionate people are characterized by energetic commanders, warriors who have the skill of infecting the people around them with their activity.

Passionate people have an increased level of sexuality, as well as a reduced need for rest. The Napoleon complex, together with innate passionarity, develops in a person a personality that is great in all respects. L.N. Gumilyov drew attention to the fact that most of the commanders and rulers of the country were short in stature: Alexander the Great, Charlemagne, Mussolini.

Signs ↑

Not all short people worry about their height. Some people just like to be miniature, while for others, height helps them professionally. For example, Formula 1 racers are all short, most ballerinas and acrobats are also small.

Never take the first step? Learn how to deal with the fear of rejection. Read about the symptoms of fear here.

People who are not ready to accept themselves and suffer from a Napoleon complex have common symptoms:

• they strive in every possible way to show their importance to society. They are often mistaken for upstarts who are trying to impose their point of view;
• have a sharp mind;
• can approach problems from the most unexpected angle and see opportunities where an ordinary person does not notice them;
• “Napoleons” have a vulnerable soul, such people are very easy to offend;
• they are vindictive;
• have painful pride;
• do not tolerate criticism;
• they do not take condescension personally, they are ready to do everything on their own;
• if they take on something, they bring it to its logical conclusion;
• suffer from perfectionism and are demanding of others;
• they prefer to compensate for their small stature with “big” acquisitions: they buy an impressive car, an apartment, rent a huge office;
• choose tall companions;
• reach heights in career, popularity and fame;
• suspicious.

Negative impact on life

Napoleon syndrome leads to prolonged depression, lack of desire to communicate with people and lead a social life. The individual considers himself unworthy and lonely. If a person becomes completely withdrawn, thoughts of suicide are possible. The small man complex gives rise to a huge number of stereotypes in men that poison life:

• failure in relationships: men are sure that girls will give preference to a tall candidate over him. Such a stereotype is very stupid, there is no friend to his taste and color, it is important to understand that height will not prevent you from finding the love of your life;
• bad lover: many short men worry that they will not be able to satisfy a woman, but height and success in this matter are in no way interconnected;
• short people are weak: physical development and muscle gain do not depend on height - only training and physical activity influence this factor.

A short man is sure that others see him as weak

Manifestation in women

The Napoleon complex in women is not inherent to the fair half. Small stature is a pride for a girl. It is generally accepted that girls with short stature look prettier and attract more men. Short girls can wear high-heeled shoes without any problems. Tall girls cannot afford such a luxury; they have every chance of being taller than their companion.

You want to protect short girls and protect them from all problems. However, some young ladies say that they are annoyed by the increased care and loyalty towards them.

Heels look perfect on short girls

Napoleon syndrome in men

Men most often develop such a complex (probably the fact is that short stature is perceived much more acutely in them than in women).
For such a person, self-affirmation in society will be urgently needed for normal existence and self-esteem. Since nature has not endowed them with physical data, they begin to complement this deficiency with other talents and qualities. It is forbidden to say unequivocally that this is bad, since thanks to such aspiration a person becomes more successful and develops only the best traits in himself. But if it was not possible to achieve recognition in society in a good way, such a person begins to shift cruelty and aggression onto other people, and a desire to command awakens in him.

For women with this problem, everything is much simpler. Firstly, their short stature gives them a chance to start seriously practicing acrobatics, rhythmic gymnastics, ballet or dancing. Secondly, it helps them choose from absolutely all men - both shorter and taller. That is why such girls only win.

Distinctive characteristics

Any complex is always some form of mental deviation, which is why it is forbidden to let it take its course and wait for the time when everything goes away on its own. If only because it can never pass anything on its own.

People who suffer from this complex have a large number of symptoms:

• strive to occupy a high position in society at any cost;
• practice imposing their point of view as the only correct one;
• they may have a painful pride;
• qualities of vindictiveness and rancor;
• perfectionism is developed;
• increased demands both on yourself and on the people around you;
• the desire to have only expensive and large things near you;
• Most often, such people try to choose a rather tall soul mate.

Common Misconceptions

Short stature is not considered a serious disadvantage. With all this, if you do not want to actively engage in sports, then no one can stop you from starting to train your brain - every person has the right to choose.

Main misconceptions:

1. Men with short stature are not sexy: everything happens the other way around, a high level of testosterone makes them more attractive (Tom Cruise can be called such an example - he achieved popularity and became a real sex symbol with a height of 170 centimeters).
2. Women most often choose tall men because of the desire to feel more protected and to look up: currently, the ability to establish themselves in life and set the right goals for themselves is considered more valuable, rather than being tall and having other external features. A striking example of a successful person can be considered world boxing champion Jacob Matlala, whose height reaches 147 centimeters.
3. A real man should have a big palm and a strong handshake. Nothing prevents a man with short stature from constantly playing sports and pumping up his muscles.

Famous people with short stature: Denis DeVito (150 centimeters), Charlie Chaplin (163 centimeters), Lenin (164 centimeters).

What diseases raised and destroyed Napoleon?

Photo: historicaltime.ru

The great and powerful usurper and emperor Napoleon Bonaparte was not only a statesman, ruler of half of Europe and a brilliant commander, but also a very sick and therefore unhappy man. He suffered from several serious mental and physical illnesses at once, and the wounds, which caused pain in themselves, also intensified other ailments.

Therefore, it is all the more incredible that such a sick person achieved all this. Simply fantastic! Or is it the other way around - some kind of pattern? After all, history knows many other striking examples of brilliant rulers who also suffered from many ailments.

Epilepsy, painful pride or playing for the audience?

According to the established opinion of doctors and historians, Napoleon was very susceptible to epilepsy. He often experienced powerful outbursts of emotional incontinence. Even as a child, the behavior of an extremely active, wayward and stubborn boy caused a lot of trouble to all his family and friends, including the servants.

And by Bonaparte’s own admission, he was simply a real imp in childhood: “I did not retreat from anything and was not afraid of anything - I beat one, scratched another - and instilled fear in my peers.”

And when, punishing him, the tutor ordered little Napoleon to kneel at the entrance to the dining room, he already had a terrible hysterical attack with fainting and violent vomiting.

Then, at a military school, a young cadet was also punished once, and this also caused him to have a seizure with convulsions. This impressed the authorities so much that they immediately forgave him for all his sins and shortcomings.

Napoleon, according to the great psychiatrist Cesare Lombroso, “suffered from epilepsy due to signs of degeneracy in the structure of the body.” But Lombroso was born only 15 years after the death of Bonaparte, and therefore could not be accurate and objective. Although Napoleon was 167 centimeters tall, it is now known that at the beginning of the 19th century this was even slightly above average.

The left calf is a prophetess of great events

The court doctors did not give a classic description of Napoleon’s seizures, nor did his comrades and those around him. Attacks of convulsions were indeed described at a parliamentary reception and even in the bed of a prostitute, but they all occurred when external hostility was manifested towards Napoleon.

Most likely, he was simply offended to the point of convulsions. Although at times the emperor himself considered his tremors no less than a great sign of grandiose events: “The trembling of my left calf is a great sign.”

Particularly severe attacks of anger usually ended in convulsions and rolling on the floor. But the Marquis de Talleyrand (and he was far from alone) believed that in Napoleonic fits there was a large share of playing for the public.

Modern authoritative doctors believe that all these symptoms are simply psychogenic hysteroid reactions characteristic of hysteroid personality disorder, and not epilepsy at all. Of course, after centuries, an accurate diagnosis cannot be made. And in any case, this is a purely theoretical question. The patient is no longer a patient, and history cannot be changed.

Photo: kulturologia.ru

The troops from the bath were given the order

But it is well known that Napoleon suffered severely from scabies, contracted during the assault on Toulon and never completely cured. Chief physician Dominique Larey and personal physician Jean Corvisart wrote: it was almost impossible to force him to comply with even the minimum dietary requirements and take medications on time.

Those around him often watched Bonaparte scratch his body with his nails until it bled, especially the scars from bayonet wounds on his chest, neck and ankle. Previously it was believed that this was a consequence of scabies, but now it is considered, rather, to be signs of a psychosomatic disorder, for example, neurodermatitis.

The usurping emperor also had bradycardia - slow blood circulation, the pulse rate did not exceed 40 beats per minute, so he was very cold. As a result, Napoleon incredibly adored hot baths; he could stay in them for hours, withstanding temperatures completely unthinkable for others. Right in the bath, he often listened to reports and made decisions on the movement of troops there.

There is a version that the skin bouquet also included anhidrosis - insufficient function of the sweat glands. He also suffered from migraines and was extremely sensitive to weather changes. But danger more often excited him, called him to activity, forcing him to become energetic during shock. And the pulse returned to normal!

Waterloo and Hemorrhoids

Modern doctors suggest that along with the manifestations of Napoleon’s hysteria, tonic-clonic convulsions occurred, the cause of which was severe uremia caused by renal failure.

Being extremely loving, he also had a large bouquet of sexually transmitted diseases. Gonorrhea, which Bonaparte contracted from the lascivious Josephine, and schistomatosis, picked up in Egypt, affected the kidneys and caused urethral obstruction. The Great One urinated, simply crying and groaning, cursing so loudly that even the grenadiers of the old guard blushed, hearing it through the thin fabric of the tent.

Napoleon was sick and had hemorrhoids. At the beginning of the Battle of Waterloo he suffered a severe and painful attack. Therefore, he quickly left the battlefield and, to escape the pain, spent several hours in a bath with boiling water.

And after that I slept in the tent for more than an hour. - After 1812, he was struck by Pickwick's syndrome - he involuntarily fell asleep at the most inopportune moments.

More on the topic:

The Emperor's Defeat: Why Napoleon Lost in Russia

Napoleon and Alexander I - in a new light

Love Stories: Napoleon and Josephine

Napoleon was treated to death

Josephine - Napoleon's eternal dream

What is it ↑

Psychologists would be happy to invite Hitler, Alexander the Great or Napoleon Bonaparte to a reception. After all, almost all great people can to some extent be classified as abnormal, not fitting into generally accepted norms.

Alas, healers of souls are several centuries late: tete-a-tete with geniuses will not work, but it is possible to cure contemporaries of the complexes named after them.

The Napoleon complex is a special behavior characterized by the aggressive desire of short people to “conquer the world.” They actively strive to stand out in any team with their talent, intelligence, professionalism, and sparkling humor. If this fails, the “Napoleons” feel unhappy, go on the defensive, and become cruel and aggressive.

Most often, this complex occurs in men: they perceive short stature much more painfully than women. From early childhood, boys understand that nature has deprived them of physical strength, massive muscles and prominent growth, and they begin to actively look for a field in which, thanks to hard work, they become real pros.

Among the short men you can find great generals, actors, scientists and politicians.

Napoleon died as a woman

Salieri, of course, envied his brilliant colleague, but not to such an extent as to take his life.

MOZART suffered from rheumatic fever

The strange and premature death of the talented composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, who died in 1791 at the age of 35, has finally received an explanation. It turns out that the cause of death that inspired writers, poets and filmmakers turned out to be wrong: Antonio Salieri did not poison Mozart. As was commonly believed, out of envy.

Dr. Faith FITZGERALD of the University of California explains that Mozart was the victim of an acute case of so-called rheumatic fever, an immune system disease that can develop after a streptococcal infection.

All the facts of the composer’s behavior point to this disease, which in those days often led to death.

At first Mozart was conscious and clear-minded, but as the illness progressed he became increasingly agitated and irritable. He even demanded that his favorite canary be removed from the room because its singing had become annoying. Feeling the end was near, Mozart gave his colleagues instructions on how to complete his last masterpiece, Requiem. A few hours before his death, he began to become delirious and fell into a coma. And he died on December 5, 1791 - 15 days after the onset of the illness.

Dr. Fitzgerald claims that rheumatic fever weakened the cardiovascular system of the genius. Moreover, Mozart had probably already experienced two attacks of this disease in childhood and early adolescence, which also caused complications in his heart. And the last argument in favor of the diagnosis is an unexpected aversion to bird singing. Increased irritability is a classic symptom of rheumatic fever.

EDGAR POE is overcome by rage

The great creator of horror did not die from alcoholism, as was commonly believed.

- Before the tragic date - October 7, 1849 - Edgar Poe arrived in Richmond from Baltimore a few days earlier. There he proposed to the woman who was to become his second wife (Poe's first wife had already died by that time). After Richmond, he intended to visit Philadelphia, but just at that moment he fell ill. He was found unconscious and transported to the hospital, where he fell into a coma. Once he regained consciousness, but then coma followed again, and on the fourth day he died.

According to hospital records kept by Dr. J. Handel, Poe died of “brain overload.” However, there are other medical reports that indicate that Poe abstained from drinking alcohol for the last six months before his death.

“The entire course of the disease showed symptoms characteristic of rabies,” says French doctor Michel BENITEZ. — The illness, which ended in death, lasted just four days, which again corresponds to rabies. When Poe came to his senses, he drank water with great difficulty. And hydrophobia is one of the hallmarks of this disease.

Most likely, Edgar Allan Poe was bitten by some animal. The fact that nothing is said about bite marks in historical documents does not mean anything, because the disease may not manifest itself for a long time.

NAPOLEON changed gender

The mysterious death of Napoleon has attracted the attention of scientists around the world for decades. The official version that the emperor died of stomach cancer, just like his father, was based on the memoirs of the doctor who treated Napoleon before his death and then performed an autopsy.

Then came the hypothesis of arsenic poisoning, which was based on DNA analysis of Napoleon's hair.

Despite the fact that the examination was carried out by the FBI, it did not satisfy meticulous researchers. And soon a version of a group of Canadian scientists appeared, according to which Napoleon died as a result of internal bleeding caused by an overdose of mercury, which was a component of one of the medications he took.

And now a council of doctors has decided that endocrinologist Robert GREENBLATT from the USA is most likely right. He claims that Napoleon died from the very rare Zollinger-Ellison disease, which occurs from hormonal disorders. It was because of this illness that the emperor gradually began to turn... into a woman.

The first symptoms appeared about 12 years before his death, when Napoleon began to gain a lot of weight, his figure began to resemble a woman’s, and his genitals began to gradually atrophy.

Yet the only way to confirm or refute any of the versions is to examine the remains of Napoleon, which were transported from St. Helena and placed in a tomb at the Cathedral of the Invalides in Paris.

BEETHOVEN was let down by the fish

Researchers from the University of Chicago reported that they spent three years studying strands of hair from the great German composer Ludwig van Beethoven. The hair was provided to the scientists by a collector who purchased it at a Sotheby's auction.

As a result of a complex analysis, the opinion about the cause of death of another outstanding personality was refuted. It is no secret that no official medical evidence on this topic was preserved: it was burned. Perhaps this is where the rumor arose that Beethoven died of syphilis.

In fact, everything is much more prosaic: the composer was let down by his love for fish, which Beethoven ate every day. And in those days, industrial enterprises that did not have treatment facilities dumped production waste into rivers. Therefore, while feasting on his favorite dish, the composer accumulated a large amount of lead in his body, which led to poisoning.

ALEXANDER THE GREAT was killed by an intestinal bug

The most popular among historians were two versions of the death of the great commander in 323 BC: he was either poisoned or he died of malaria. In fact, according to Professor George OLDACE, Alexander fell victim to a small intestinal bug that triggered typhoid fever.

A week before his death, he had all the signs of infection and one of them was abdominal pain that forced him to scream even in agony. Namely, typhoid fever, if untreated, leads to intestinal perforation and causes terrible pain. Perhaps the doctors of that time were misled by such a feature of this disease as paralysis, which affects the legs, body, muscles and slows breathing.

Ancient reports say that Alexander's body showed no signs of decomposition for several days after death. Indeed, such a specific paralysis makes a person look like a dead person, even if he is still alive.

At that time, this fever could not be cured. Now there is a medicine - it is called “acidophilus” and helps strengthen the immune system to fight the intestinal bug. Alexander could have contracted it due to dirty water or poor hygiene.

BY THE WAY

The conspirators did not kill Tutankhamun

For several decades it was believed that the Egyptian pharaoh Tutankhamun fell victim to a palace coup and a conspiracy of the priests. They killed the 17-year-old boy by breaking his head. This was allegedly evidenced by bone fragments found in the skull.

However, at a recent meeting of the American Radiological Society, scientists announced that they had found the true cause of the pharaoh's death - an accident.

A tomographic examination of the mummy showed that Tutankhamun broke his hip. And, they say, this is clearly noticeable. His fracture was not closed, but open. The wound festered and gangrene began.

“We have not found convincing evidence that the pharaoh died from a blow to the skull,” says one of the researchers, Ashraf SELIM, a radiologist at Qasr Eleini Hospital at Cairo University. — The fragments in the skull are not an ancient injury at all, but only a consequence of the awkward handling of the mummy by the workers of the British archaeologist Howard Carter, who discovered the tomb of Tutankhamun in 1922.

WHAT ABOUT US?

The mysterious deaths of Soviet leaders

Researchers are still arguing about only two leaders - Vladimir Ilyich and Joseph Vissarionovich.

For some reason they doubt the official versions of their death

Did Lenin have syphilis?

According to official data, the leader of the world proletariat died on January 21, 1924 from “diffuse atherosclerosis with predominant damage to the cerebral vessels” - this was the conclusion given by Professor Abrikosov after the autopsy. However, it is known that only 8 out of 27 Kremlin doctors agreed to sign the death certificate. Among those who refused were two of Lenin’s personal doctors. This prompted a group of Israeli scientists from Ben-Gurion University in Beer Sheva to begin their investigation, the results of which were published in 2004 in the European Journal of Neurology and then replicated in newspapers around the world.

The leader of the group, professor of psychiatry Eliezer VITZUM, claims that Vladimir Ilyich actually died from syphilis. According to the professor, such a sensational conclusion was prompted by: Lenin’s medical record, autopsy results, declassified memoirs of Soviet doctors and other archival documents that describe Lenin’s behavior in the last years of his life.

And most importantly: it was allegedly discovered that the attending doctors prescribed Vladimir Ilyich salvarsan, a drug that was used only to treat syphilis. And the German professor Max Nonne, author of the classic reference book “Syphilis and the Nervous System” (1902), was invited to a consultation.

However, Israeli doctors did not mention that the archives contained a note made by Nonna himself: “There was absolutely nothing indicating syphilis.” Historians explain its appearance as follows: Lenin took salvarsan because he himself suspected syphilis. And the professor had to figure it out. Which is what I did.

On the other hand, in one of his films (channel “Russia”) Nikolai Svanidze showed an interview with the daughter of Bekhterev (Lenin’s former attending physician). In it, the professor of medicine publicly confirmed for the first time that Lenin died of cerebral syphilis, which is the last stage of everyday syphilis.

Who is right is unknown. The mystery remains. A study of Lenin's brain would help reveal it. However, the Israelis express doubt that they will be allowed to do this.

Was Stalin given rat poison?

The version about the poisoning of Joseph Vissarionovich is the most popular. This is what Beria and his like-minded people allegedly did in order to stop the “doctors’ case” allegedly started by Stalin against the top of the NKVD. They added rat poison on the night of March 1 during a “friendly” party at the dacha. However, most scientists do not believe this. They claim that Stalin suffered from arterial hypertension and cerebrovascular accident for a long time. And he died from an acutely developed severe hemorrhagic stroke.