The 1400s was the peak of the Ottoman–Hungarian Wars, when Wallachia in Southern Romania was one of Hungary's strongest rivals. Situated between Christian Europe and the Muslim lands of the Ottoman Empire, Transylvania and Wallachia (see map) were often the scene of bloody battles. The Ottoman forces pushed westward into Europe, and Christian Crusaders marched eastward toward the Holy Land.
Vlad the Impaler Tepes (1431-1476) was born in Transylvania in 1431, son of the famous war lord Vlad II and the Princess of Moldavia. He had two older half-brothers and a younger full brother. In his birth year Vlad's father travelled to Nuremberg where he was honoured with the Order of the Dragon, and was granted the surname Dracul after his induction into the Christian Military Order of the Dragon. In 1436, Vlad II Dracul ascended the Wallachian throne.
When Vlad II was called to a diplomatic meeting in 1442 with Sultan Murad II, he brought his young sons along. But the meeting was a trap: all three were arrested and held hostage. Vlad II was released, but he had to give his sons to the Ottoman court.
Vlad II was ousted in 1442 by rival factions in league with Hungary, but secured Ottoman support for his return, agreeing to pay the tax on non-Muslims to the Sultan!! At 11, Vlad III was imprisoned and whipped because of his verbal abuse towards his captors. These years presumably had a great influence on the young man's character and led to Vlad's hatred for the Ottoman Turks, Janissary military corps, brother Radu for converting to Islam and the young Ottoman Sultan Mehmed II. He also distrusted his own father for trading him to the dreaded Ottoman Empire.
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Note again that the boys' father, Vlad II Dracul, got the support of the Ottomans, returned to Wallachia and took back his throne from Basarab II and some unfaithful Boyars. But dad was ousted as ruler of Wallachia by the boyars and was killed in the Wallachian swamps in 1447. Vlad's older brothers were tortured, blinded and buried alive.
Vladislav II took Wallachia over. But once Vlad III was freed by the Ottomans, he killed Vladislav with his own hands.
In 1453, Constantinople fell to the Ottomans, threatening all of Europe with an invasion. In his battles to protect the home land, Vlad III became famous as a brute who took sadistic pleasure in torturing and killing. His weapons of choice were: the kilij, a curved Turkic sword, good for chopping bodies and the halberd an axe blade, topped with a spike on a long shaft and a hacking hook.
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Impaling was the most grotesque form of torture and death. A pole was inserted through the body vertically, through the rectum and out via the victim's neck. The pole was then raised vertically to display the dying victim's pain.
In 1462 invading Ottoman Sultan Mehmed II fled, after seeing the carnage: 20,000 decaying impaled corpses being eaten by crows in Vlad's capital: Târgoviște.
Pro-Vlad propaganda started appearing, including Vlad’s portraits, his weapons, captured enemies and religious images. One splendid religious image appeared on the altar piece of the Church of St Maria Vienna, painted in 1460.
Vlad III was a cunning tactician, even when vastly outnumbered. He was widely credited with bringing security to Wallachia and strengthening its economy; he built new villages for the peasants and encouraged the production of new agriculture. Trade became an important source of development and revenue.
Most importantly his Orthodox Christian victories over the invading Ottomans were celebrated throughout Wallachia, Transylvania and the rest of Europe, especially by Pope Pius II (ruled 1458-64). In a very real sense, Vlad was the Christian gatekeeper of Europe. But at what cost? The total number of Vlad III’s victims was c80,000. PLUS he also had whole villages and fortresses burned to the ground.
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Romania’s capital city was first mentioned as Bucuresti in 1459, when it was recorded in a document of Vlad III. In that same year, during Vlad III’s rule, the Old Princely Court was built as a palatial residence. Archaeological excavations have been very successful recently, and now the site is operated by the Municipality in Bucharest’s historic centre.
Each ruler extended the princely residence, built large cellars and surrounded it with stone walls. Today Dracula's Castle, near the town of Bran, is a major tourist attraction, even though its connection with Vlad is uncertain.
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Old Princely Court in Bucharest
excavations
Vlad the Impaler Tepes (1431-1476) was born in Transylvania in 1431, son of the famous war lord Vlad II and the Princess of Moldavia. He had two older half-brothers and a younger full brother. In his birth year Vlad's father travelled to Nuremberg where he was honoured with the Order of the Dragon, and was granted the surname Dracul after his induction into the Christian Military Order of the Dragon. In 1436, Vlad II Dracul ascended the Wallachian throne.
When Vlad II was called to a diplomatic meeting in 1442 with Sultan Murad II, he brought his young sons along. But the meeting was a trap: all three were arrested and held hostage. Vlad II was released, but he had to give his sons to the Ottoman court.
Vlad II was ousted in 1442 by rival factions in league with Hungary, but secured Ottoman support for his return, agreeing to pay the tax on non-Muslims to the Sultan!! At 11, Vlad III was imprisoned and whipped because of his verbal abuse towards his captors. These years presumably had a great influence on the young man's character and led to Vlad's hatred for the Ottoman Turks, Janissary military corps, brother Radu for converting to Islam and the young Ottoman Sultan Mehmed II. He also distrusted his own father for trading him to the dreaded Ottoman Empire.
Vlad III, cruel and ugly, c1450
Castle Ambras in the Tyrol
Vlad III was later released and taken to be educated by the Ottomans, in logic, Quran, literature, warfare, horse riding, science, philosophy, arts, Turkish and Persian languages.
Note again that the boys' father, Vlad II Dracul, got the support of the Ottomans, returned to Wallachia and took back his throne from Basarab II and some unfaithful Boyars. But dad was ousted as ruler of Wallachia by the boyars and was killed in the Wallachian swamps in 1447. Vlad's older brothers were tortured, blinded and buried alive.
Vladislav II took Wallachia over. But once Vlad III was freed by the Ottomans, he killed Vladislav with his own hands.
In 1453, Constantinople fell to the Ottomans, threatening all of Europe with an invasion. In his battles to protect the home land, Vlad III became famous as a brute who took sadistic pleasure in torturing and killing. His weapons of choice were: the kilij, a curved Turkic sword, good for chopping bodies and the halberd an axe blade, topped with a spike on a long shaft and a hacking hook.
Map of Wallachia and Transylvania
totally surrounded by the Ottoman Empire
In 1462 invading Ottoman Sultan Mehmed II fled, after seeing the carnage: 20,000 decaying impaled corpses being eaten by crows in Vlad's capital: Târgoviște.
Pro-Vlad propaganda started appearing, including Vlad’s portraits, his weapons, captured enemies and religious images. One splendid religious image appeared on the altar piece of the Church of St Maria Vienna, painted in 1460.
Anti-Vlad German woodcut pamphlets from the late C15th became popular eg Ambrosius Huber’s sadistic paintings created in 1499. The pamphlets depicted Vlad as violent and barbaric. Note that these images were printed and reprinted, even after Vlad's death.
Vlad III was a cunning tactician, even when vastly outnumbered. He was widely credited with bringing security to Wallachia and strengthening its economy; he built new villages for the peasants and encouraged the production of new agriculture. Trade became an important source of development and revenue.
Most importantly his Orthodox Christian victories over the invading Ottomans were celebrated throughout Wallachia, Transylvania and the rest of Europe, especially by Pope Pius II (ruled 1458-64). In a very real sense, Vlad was the Christian gatekeeper of Europe. But at what cost? The total number of Vlad III’s victims was c80,000. PLUS he also had whole villages and fortresses burned to the ground.
Vlad the Impaler as Pontius Pilate judging Jesus Christ, 1463
National Gallery, Ljubljana. 
Vlad eating while presiding over the impalement of Ottoman prisonersTitle page in a German woodcut pamphlet, 1499
Created by Ambrosius Huber
The reputation of Vlad's cruelty was even more actively promoted by Matthias Corvinus (1430-90), King of Hungary & Croatia from 1458 on. Corvinus smeared Vlad’s political credibility on purpose, to build up his own standing.
Created by Ambrosius Huber
The reputation of Vlad's cruelty was even more actively promoted by Matthias Corvinus (1430-90), King of Hungary & Croatia from 1458 on. Corvinus smeared Vlad’s political credibility on purpose, to build up his own standing.
Romania’s capital city was first mentioned as Bucuresti in 1459, when it was recorded in a document of Vlad III. In that same year, during Vlad III’s rule, the Old Princely Court was built as a palatial residence. Archaeological excavations have been very successful recently, and now the site is operated by the Municipality in Bucharest’s historic centre.
Each ruler extended the princely residence, built large cellars and surrounded it with stone walls. Today Dracula's Castle, near the town of Bran, is a major tourist attraction, even though its connection with Vlad is uncertain.
Dracula Palace in Bran
excavations
In 1476 Vlad III and a small vanguard of soldiers were marching to yet another battle with the Ottomans when they were ambushed and defeated. Was Vlad was killed, with his head taken to Constantinople as a trophy; his body was buried in a Romanian monastery? Or was he ransomed by his daughter, brought to Italy and was later buried in Santa Maria La Nova Church, Naples?
The British consul to Wallachia, William Wilkinson, wrote An Account of the Principalities of Wallachia and Moldavia in 1820. Irish author Bram Stoker (1847–1912) never visited Vlad III's homeland, but he certainly did read Wilkinson's book. And if any historical figure could inspire a blood thirsty, monstrous fictional character, Vlad III Dracula was one. Bram Stoker's 1897 novel was of course Dracula.