1.68m is 5’5" which is yeah short but not too far from the (self-reported) average male height in France today which is 5’9" (1.75m) (Bayesian estimates actually say 5’7" (1.70m)). During Bonaparte’s time average male height in France was 5’4" (1.62m) so he was actually taller than average by a tiny bit.
Average height has increased over time.
No, not always. There were fluctuations depending on several factors, nutrition being one (and an important one).
Still, 1.68 seems just tiny ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
1.68m is 5’5" which is yeah short but not too far from the (self-reported) average male height in France today which is 5’9" (1.75m) (Bayesian estimates actually say 5’7" (1.70m)). During Bonaparte’s time average male height in France was 5’4" (1.62m) so he was actually taller than average by a tiny bit.
I cannot relate to feet and inches for height, I’m all but used to imperial units.
All I am saying though is that 1.68 is very small from my perspective and if that’s the average height back around 1800, people where tiny then.