## The Story of Vlad the Impaler: Part 4

The name Dracula has been immortalised by the author Bram Stoker in his 1897 novel about the vampire. However, this Dracula is purely fictional. The real Dracula was named Vlad III, but he also had another name for which he was famed, and that was Vlad the Impaler. Contrary to popular belief, Vlad wasn't considered as a monstrous cruel being in his time. He was a national hero in Romania for his countless deeds of bravery. His methods, including impalement, were intended to instill fear in the enemy and deter further invasions. Vlad's defiance against a powerful empire demonstrated his willingness to put his life on the line for the freedom and independence of his kingdom. Vlad's greatness remains a topic of debate among scholars and historians. While he is infamous for his cruel and violent methods of rule, he was also a man of action whose rise from a hostage of the Ottoman Empire to the scourge of the Ottomans cemented his name in history. He was a powerful warrior in his own right, as well as a ruler who ruled with an iron fist. This is his story.

Vlad was the second son of Vlad II Dracul, the ruler of Wallachia in modern day Romania. Vlad II had won the nickname Dracul for his membership in the Order of the Dragon. The Order of the Dragon's primary goal was to stop the Ottomans from advancing further into Europe. Vlad III was born around the year 1428-1431. In a Transylvanian Saxon town, Vlad also had a younger brother named Radu, who would become known as Radu the Fair. Vlad II Dracul seized Wallachia after the death of his half-brother in 1436. Wallachia is a historical region in modern day Romania. Vlad did not support the Ottoman invasion of Transylvania in March of the year 1442. As a result, the Ottoman Sultan Murad II ordered him to come to Gallipoli to demonstrate his loyalty. Vlad and Radu accompanied their father to the Ottoman Empire, where they were all imprisoned. Vlad Dracul was released before the end of the year, but Vlad III and Radu remained as hostages to secure their father's loyalty. Despite this, Vlad II still supported the Ottoman's enemies in the Crusade of Varna in 1444, which was an unsuccessful military campaign launched by several European leaders to check the expansion of the Ottoman Empire into Central Europe. Vlad II Dracul was convinced that his sons would be butchered for the sake of Christian peace. But neither Vlad nor Radu were murdered or mutilated after the rebellion. While Vlad III and his brother Radu were held captive, They were tutored in science, philosophy, languages such as Turkish and the arts. Vlad also became a skilled warrior and became the master of several weapons. These years as a hostage would unknowingly to the Ottomans forge Vlad the Impaler as he became a savage warrior and was quick to learn. During the young Vlad's captivity, his father and eldest brother Mycrea were murdered, which made Vlad's hatred of the Ottomans grow even more, as he could not be there to defend them. In his eyes, the Ottomans had taken everything from him, his home, his childhood, and his father and brother, and Vlad swore that they would be avenged. Nevertheless, he would bide his time, pretending to be loyal to Sultan Murad II and the Ottoman agenda. After these events, Vlad would begin his journey to regain his father's seat as the ruler of Wallachia. However, Vlad's seat was now occupied by Vladislav II, who was rumoured to have assassinated Vlad's father. Vlad III Dracula would soon abandon the Ottomans and would forge an alliance with John Hunyadi, a leading Hungarian military and political figure in Central and southeastern Europe. Hunyadi would give Vlad Dracula military support and aid. Vlad still longed for the throne. He amassed a small army of mercenaries with the help of Hunyadi and he invaded Wallachia with Hungarian support. On July 22nd 1456, when Vlad was still a young man, he encountered Vladislav on the battlefield and the commanders agreed to settle the matter the old way, in single combat. The fight was in front of both armies, then the 2 men clashed. However, Vlad was far more skilled and eventually landed a savage blow on his opponent, killing him. Now no 1 could question his rule. Vlad had regained his ancestral seat, and would promise to protect his people from the Ottomans, and he would soon be known as 1 of the cruelest men of the age. During this time, Vlad was described as not very tall, but very stocky and strong, with a cold and terrible appearance, a strong and aquiline nose, swollen nostrils, a thin and reddish face, in which the very long eyelashes framed large, with wide-open green eyes. The bushy black eyebrows made them appear threatening. His face and chin were shaven, but for a moustache, the swollen temples increased the bulk of his head, a bull's neck connected to his head, from which black curly locks hung on his wide-shouldered person. Vlad was still haunted by his past and the death of his father and brother, and he needed retribution. He wouldn't rest until he felt they had been avenged. He began to purge all those who had participated in the murder of his father and brother or anyone else he thought was plotting against him. He had them impaled, their bodies would be pushed through a huge spike until they finally died. Vlad's hatred for the Ottomans was also still in his heart. A group of the Ottoman envoys had an audience with Vlad and the envoys decided to keep their turbans on due to their faith, to which Vlad commended them on their religious devotion. Vlad then said, your turbans shall forever remain on your heads. He then had their turbans nailed to their skulls. This was only the beginning of Vlad's savage cruelty. Vlad would plunder many villages in Transylvania and the stories would reach Germany, recounting that he carried away enemy men, women and children and would have them all impaled without any mercy. Soon enough, a pretender to the throne named Dan III broke into Vlad's kingdom while Vlad was away fighting. Vlad swiftly marched back to Wallachia and a fight quickly ensued. The result was Dan III's army was completely annihilated and Dan himself was captured. Vlad then would force him to dig his own grave, before having him beheaded in 1460 in front of all of the people of Wallachia, to which they cheered. Dan's entire army and supporters were then impaled. Vlad, to the people of Wallachia, was not only a ruler, he was a warrior that would fight to protect them. The people saw him as a hero and liberator. After that, he then invaded southern Transylvania and ordered the impalement of all the men and women who had been captured which was now becoming a regular occurrence. Vlad's sadistic tendencies were now showing more and more. During Vlad the Impaler's reign as ruler of Wallachia, the Ottoman Empire was at the peak of its expansionary phase. The Ottomans had already conquered much of the Balkans, including Serbia and Bulgaria, and sought to expand further into Eastern Europe. Wallachia was 1 of the buffer states, standing in the way of the Ottoman ambitions and its rulers were expected to pay tribute and pledge loyalty to the Sultan. During Vlad's rise to power, the Sultan Murad II had died and his warmongering son Mehmed II would conquer Constantinople which was something that was thought impossible. However, Vlad still decided to defy Ottoman demands for submission and tribute. He saw the Ottomans as a threat to his kingdom's independence and took a resolute stand against their expansionist goals. Vlad's resistance was characterised by both military actions and psychological warfare designed to challenge the Ottomans' sense of invincibility. On the 26th of September in the year 1459, Pope Pius II called for a new crusade against the Ottomans and on January the 14th in the year 1460, at the Congress of Mantua, the Pope proclaimed the official crusade that was to last for 3 years. His plan however failed, as 1 of the only European leaders that showed enthusiasm for the crusade was Vlad the Impaler, whom the Pope held in high regard. Because of the lack of enthusiasm shown by the Europeans for the crusade, Sultan Mehmed took the opportunity to take an offensive stand. 1 of Vlad the Impaler's allies, Mihai Silaji, the regent of the Kingdom of Hungary was captured in the year 1460 by the Turks, while travelling in Bulgaria. His men were tortured to death while Selagi was sawed in half. This conveys the level of savagery during this war and why Vlad may have been driven to use tactics of extreme cruelty. In April of the year 1462, the Sultan moved with his army from Constantinople with the objective of conquering Wallachia and annexing the land to his empire. After learning of Vlad's campaign, he raised an army of 150, 000 men. The Sultan's army consisted of tens of thousands of infantry soldiers, cavalry and 120 cannons. Vlad was outnumbered by this terrifying enemy and he would resort to using a scorched earth tactic, leaving nothing but ash and death in order for the enemy to use more supplies. He not only scarred the land, but also poisoned the waters and created marshes by diverting the waters of small rivers. Vlad would also adopt guerrilla tactics and his cavalry made several hit and run attacks. He would also send ill people suffering from lethal diseases such as leprosy and tuberculosis, and in more significant numbers, those who suffered from the bubonic plague, to intermix with the Ottoman army and infect them. He was successful in this regard and the bubonic plague managed to spread around the Ottoman army. Nevertheless, the Ottomans continued with their advance towards Targoviste in Romania. When Vlad found out the location of their camp, he launched his night attack with possibly 7, 000 to 10, 000 horsemen. Some accounts state that Vlad freely went into the Turkish camp, disguised as an Ottoman, and wandered around to find the location of the Sultan's tent. Vlad and his men would attack the camp in the night. The skirmish would cause great confusion in the Ottoman camp. Vlad the Impaler himself aimed for the tent of the Sultan as he routed the enemy cavalry, but by mistake went for the tent of 2 high-ranking officials and killed them instead. This battle is remembered as the Night Attack at Targoviste and the total casualties for the conflict are numbered as 5, 000 for the Wallachian side and 15, 000 for the Ottomans. This feat is a further testament that Vlad was a man of action, carrying out feats himself, something rare in a man of his importance. The Sultan Mehmed and his army's morale were low with the spread of plague and the chaotic attack on their camp, however, They pressed on and would reach the city of Targoviste but found it deserted. What the Ottomans did find left them horrified and shocked. They saw thousands of stakes with Ottoman prisoners of war impaled on them that stretched as far as the eye could see. The Ottomans would gaze on 20, 000 impaled corpses. Hamza Pasha, a commander of the Ottoman fleet and a high-ranking general the Sultan, was impaled on the highest stake, to symbolise his high ranking. A chronicler at the time reported, the Sultan's army entered into the area of the impalements. There were large stakes, there on which about 20, 000 men, women and children had been spitted. Infants were affixed to their mothers on the stakes, and birds had made their nests on their entrails. Although the sight terrified the Sultan's men, the Sultan was amazed at Vlad's actions and said, a man who has done such things is worth much. The Sultan had admiration for Vlad's dedication to his country and realised he would use horrifying cruelty to cause whatever devastation necessary in order to win the war. This horrifying display would be remembered to history as the Forest of the Impaled. This ghastly sight sent a chilling message to the Sultan Mehmed and his troops, sowing fear among the Ottoman ranks. Witnessing such a gruesome scene, the Ottomans were left demoralised and many turned back, effectively slowing down the Ottoman's invasion. Vlad still needed more men to defeat the Ottomans and his men were starting to abandon him due to the reputation of the enemy. Vlad's brother, Radu the Fair, had risen in the ranks of the Ottoman court while Vlad would fight them. Although Vlad defeated his brother Radu's forces in 2 consecutive battles, The Ottomans had the numbers, Vlad withdrew to the Carpathian mountains, hoping that Matthias Corvinus would help him regain his throne. Matthias opposed the Ottoman expansionist agenda, but he was also a supporter of Dan III, who dug his own grave and was then beheaded on Vlad's orders. Vlad negotiated with Matthias, the King of Hungary and Croatia for weeks, But Matthias did not want to wage war against the Ottomans, knowing what had happened to the great city of Constantinople. Matthias then had Vlad captured and imprisoned on a false accusation of treason. Vlad was held in Vizgrad, a small castle town in Hungary for 14 years. No documents referring to Vlad between the years 1462 and 1475 have been preserved, so we don't know what Vlad got up to during his captivity. Stefan III of Moldavia, also known as Stefan the Great, sent envoys to King Matthias, urging him to set Vlad free and send him to Wallachia in order to secure a Wallachian ruler who would not submit to the Ottomans. Matthias recognised Vlad as the lawful prince of Wallachia, but he did not provide him with military assistance to regain his principality, however, he did set him free after over a decade in captivity. King Matthias finally freed Vlad and recognised him as the rightful ruler of Wallachia. Although Vlad had been imprisoned, his fighting days were still not over. Vlad once again resorted to his terror tactics, mass impaling captured Turkish soldiers and massacring civilians in conquered settlements. Sultan Mehmed II invaded Moldavia and defeated Stefan III in the Battle of Valia Alba on the 26th of July in the year 1476, in which Stefan the Great lost nearly all of his men. Soon after, Stefan Bathory, a Hungarian commander and Vlad entered Moldavia, forcing the Sultan to lift the siege of the fortress at Targunant. Stefan now owed a debt to Vlad and would help him reconquer Wallachia. Vlad would soon return to Wallachia with his new allies and was crowned on the 26th of November in the year 1476. However, the Ottomans returned and according to some sources, Vlad's army of about 2, 000 were cornered and destroyed by a Turkish force of 4, 000 warriors. The exact circumstances of Vlad's death are unclear. There are some reports that he died on the battlefield, while others state he was betrayed by his own nobles to bring about an end to his tyrannical rule. An Austrian chronicler named Jacob Unrest stated that a disguised Turkish assassin murdered Vlad in his camp. The Ottomans would cut Vlad's body to pieces and sent his head to the Sultan. Vlad's head was eventually placed on a high stake in Constantinople. However, local peasant traditions maintain that what was left of Vlad's corpse was later discovered in the marshes of Snagov by monks from the nearby monastery. Conflicting reports of Vlad's end add some mystery to his death, but his name was immortalised by his terrifying acts of cruelty. However, at the time, he was regarded as just a ruler who had to be a tyrant in order to defend his people. As he lived through no ordinary time, Constantinople had fallen and the boundless Ottoman army were perceived as unbeatable. Vlad the Impaler's unyielding resistance and strategic use of impalement against the Ottoman invaders earned him a fearsome reputation in history. His ruthless tactics were meant to protect his people and assert his authority over Wallachia. Despite the gruesome nature of his methods, there is no denying the significant impact they had in deterring the Ottomans and preserving Wallachia's independence. While Vlad's reign and tactics were undoubtedly brutal, they demonstrate the lengths to which leaders throughout history have gone to defend their territories and people. Vlad's legacy as Vlad the Impaler will forever be intertwined with his unwavering defiance against the Ottoman Empire, leaving behind a chilling reminder of the cost of war and the price of survival. 1 of the greatest Romanian poets, Mihai Eminescu, dedicated a historic ballad, the Third Letter, to the valiant princes of Wallachia, including Vlad. In the poem, he urges Vlad to return from the grave to annihilate the enemies of the Romanian nation. You must come, O dread impaler, confound them to your care, split them in 2 partitions, hear the fools, the rascals there, Shove them into 2 enclosures, from the broad daylight, in Slium. Then set fire to the prison and the lunatic asylum. I hope you all enjoyed the video. If you did, make sure to like, subscribe and share, and I'll see you all soon for another history profile.

The Story of Vlad the Impaler: Part 4

The name Dracula has been immortalised by the author Bram Stoker in his 1897 novel about the vampire. However, this Dracula is purely fictional. The real Dracula was named Vlad the third and had another nickname for which he was famed, that was Vlad the Impaler. Contrary to popular belief, Vlad wasn't considered a monstrous cruel being in his time, he was a national hero in Romania for his countless deeds of bravery and resilience and is often considered as one of the most important rulers in Wallachian history.  His methods, including impalement, were intended to instil fear in the enemy and deter further invasions. Vlad's defiance against a powerful empire demonstrated his willingness to put his life on the line for the freedom and independence of his kingdom.

Vlad Dracula, is a historical figure whose greatness remains a topic of debate among scholars and historians. While he is infamous for his cruel and violent methods of rule, he was also a man of action whose rise from a hostage of the Ottoman Empire to the scourge of the Ottomans cemented his name in history. He was a powerful warrior in his on right as well as a ruler who ruled with an iron fist this is his story. 

Chapters:
00:00 Introduction - Vlad the Impaler 
01:33 Chapter 1 - Early life & Captivity 
04:31 Chapter 2-  Rise to Power
06:44 Chapter 3 - Ruler of Wallachia
09:06 Chapter 4 - War against the Ottomans
14:05 Chapter 5 - Triumph of the Impaling Lord
16:10 Chapter 6 - Imprisonment in Hungary
18:08 Chapter 7 - The Impaler's Death

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The name Dracula has been immortalised by the author Bram Stoker in his 1897 novel about the vampire.

However, this Dracula is purely fictional.

The real Dracula was named Vlad III, but he also had another name for which he was famed, and that was Vlad the Impaler.

Contrary to popular belief, Vlad wasn't considered as a monstrous cruel being in his time.

He was a national hero in Romania for his countless deeds of bravery.

His methods, including impalement, were intended to instill fear in the enemy and deter further invasions.

Vlad's defiance against a powerful empire demonstrated his willingness to put his life on the line for the freedom and independence of his kingdom.

Vlad's greatness remains a topic of debate among scholars and historians.

While he is infamous for his cruel and violent methods of rule, he was also a man of action whose rise from a hostage of the Ottoman Empire to the scourge of the Ottomans cemented his name in history.

He was a powerful warrior in his own right,

Vlad was the second son of Vlad II Dracul, the ruler of Wallachia in modern day Romania.

Vlad II had won the nickname Dracul for his membership in the Order of the Dragon.

The Order of the Dragon's primary goal was to stop the Ottomans from advancing further into Europe.

Vlad III was born around the year 1428-1431.

In a Transylvanian Saxon town, Vlad also had a younger brother named Radu, who would become known as Radu the Fair.

Vlad II Dracul seized Wallachia after the death of his half-brother in 1436.

Wallachia is a historical region in modern day Romania.

Vlad did not support the Ottoman invasion of Transylvania in March of the year 1442.

As a result, the Ottoman Sultan Murad II ordered him to come to Gallipoli to demonstrate his loyalty.

Vlad and Radu accompanied their father to the Ottoman Empire, where they were all imprisoned.

Vlad Dracul was released before the end of the year, but Vlad III and Radu remained as hostages to secure their father's loyalty.

Despite this, Vlad II still supported the Ottoman's enemies in the Crusade of Varna in

1444, which was an unsuccessful military campaign launched by several European leaders to check the expansion of

Vlad II Dracul was convinced that his sons would be butchered for the sake of Christian peace.

But neither Vlad nor Radu were murdered or mutilated after the rebellion.

While Vlad III and his brother Radu were held captive, They were tutored in science, philosophy, languages such as Turkish and the arts.

Vlad also became a skilled warrior and became the master of several weapons.

These years as a hostage would unknowingly to the Ottomans forge Vlad the Impaler as he became a savage warrior and was quick to learn.

During the young Vlad's captivity, his father and eldest brother Mycrea were murdered, which made Vlad's hatred of the Ottomans grow even more, as he could not be there to defend them.

In his eyes, the Ottomans had taken everything from him, his home, his childhood, and his father and brother, and Vlad swore that they would be

Nevertheless, he would bide his time, pretending to be loyal to Sultan Murad II and the Ottoman agenda.

After these events, Vlad would begin his journey to regain his father's seat as the ruler of Wallachia.

However, Vlad's seat was now occupied by Vladislav II, who was rumoured to have assassinated Vlad's father.

Vlad III Dracula would soon abandon the Ottomans and would forge an alliance with John Hunyadi, a leading Hungarian military and political figure in Central and southeastern Europe.

Hunyadi would give Vlad Dracula military support and aid.

He amassed a small army of mercenaries with the help of Hunyadi and he invaded Wallachia with Hungarian support.

when Vlad was still a young man, he encountered Vladislav on the battlefield and the commanders agreed to settle the matter the old way, in single combat.

The fight was in front of both armies, then the 2 men clashed.

However, Vlad was far more skilled and eventually landed a savage blow on his opponent, killing him.

Vlad had regained his ancestral seat, and would promise to protect his people from the Ottomans, and he would soon be known as 1 of the cruelest men of the age.

During this time, Vlad was described as not very tall, but very stocky and strong, with a cold and terrible appearance, a strong and aquiline nose, swollen nostrils, a thin and reddish face, in which the very long eyelashes framed large, with wide-open green eyes.

The bushy black eyebrows made them appear threatening.

His face and chin were shaven, but for a moustache, the swollen temples increased the bulk of his head, a bull's neck connected to his head, from which black curly locks hung on his wide-shouldered person.

Vlad was still haunted by his past and the death of his father and brother, and he needed retribution.

He wouldn't rest until he felt they had been avenged.

He began to purge all those who had participated in the murder of his father and brother or anyone else he thought was plotting against him.

He had them impaled, their bodies would be pushed through a huge spike until they finally died.

Vlad's hatred for the Ottomans was also still in his heart.

A group of the Ottoman envoys had an audience with Vlad and the envoys decided to keep their turbans on due to their faith, to which Vlad commended them on their religious devotion.

Vlad then said, your turbans shall forever remain on your heads.

He then had their turbans nailed to their skulls.

This was only the beginning of Vlad's savage cruelty.

Vlad would plunder many villages in Transylvania and the stories would reach Germany, recounting that he carried away enemy men, women and children and would have them all impaled without any mercy.

Soon enough, a pretender to the throne named Dan III broke into Vlad's kingdom while Vlad was away fighting.

Vlad swiftly marched back to Wallachia and a fight quickly ensued.

The result was Dan III's army was completely annihilated and Dan himself was captured.

Vlad then would force him to dig his own grave, before having him beheaded in 1460 in front of all of the people of Wallachia, to which they cheered.

Dan's entire army and supporters were then impaled.

Vlad, to the people of Wallachia, was not only a ruler, he was a warrior that would fight to protect them.

The people saw him as a hero and liberator.

After that, he then invaded southern Transylvania and ordered the impalement of all the men and women who had been captured which was now becoming a regular occurrence.

Vlad's sadistic tendencies were now showing more and more.

During Vlad the Impaler's reign as ruler of Wallachia, the Ottoman Empire was at the peak of its expansionary phase.

The Ottomans had already conquered much of the Balkans, including Serbia and Bulgaria, and sought to expand further into Eastern Europe.

Wallachia was 1 of the buffer states, standing in

the way of the Ottoman ambitions and its rulers were expected to pay tribute and pledge loyalty to the Sultan.

During Vlad's rise to power, the Sultan Murad II had died and his warmongering son Mehmed II would conquer Constantinople which was something that was thought impossible.

However, Vlad still decided to defy Ottoman demands for submission and tribute.

He saw the Ottomans as a threat to his kingdom's independence and took a resolute stand against their expansionist goals.

Vlad's resistance was characterised by both military actions and psychological warfare designed to challenge the Ottomans' sense of invincibility.

On the 26th of September in the year 1459, Pope Pius II called for a new crusade against the Ottomans and on January the 14th in the year 1460, at the Congress of Mantua, the Pope proclaimed the official crusade that was to last for 3 years.

His plan however failed, as 1 of the only European leaders that showed enthusiasm for the crusade was Vlad the Impaler, whom the Pope held in high regard.

Because of the lack of enthusiasm shown by the Europeans for the crusade, Sultan Mehmed took the opportunity to take an offensive stand.

1 of Vlad the Impaler's allies, Mihai Silaji, the regent of the Kingdom of Hungary was captured in the year 1460 by the Turks, while travelling in Bulgaria.

His men were tortured to death while Selagi was sawed in half.

This conveys the level of savagery during this war and why Vlad may have been driven to use tactics of extreme cruelty.

the Sultan moved with his army from Constantinople with the objective of conquering Wallachia and annexing the land to his empire.

After learning of Vlad's campaign, he raised an army of

The Sultan's army consisted of tens of thousands of infantry soldiers, cavalry and 120 cannons.

Vlad was outnumbered by this terrifying enemy and he would resort to using a scorched earth tactic, leaving nothing but ash and death in order for the enemy to use more supplies.

He not only scarred the land, but also poisoned the waters and created marshes by diverting the waters of small rivers.

Vlad would also adopt guerrilla tactics and his cavalry made several hit and run attacks.

He would also send ill people suffering from lethal diseases such as leprosy and tuberculosis, and in more significant numbers, those who suffered from the bubonic plague, to intermix with the Ottoman army and infect them.

He was successful in this regard and the bubonic plague managed to spread around the Ottoman army.

Nevertheless, the Ottomans continued with their advance towards Targoviste in Romania.

When Vlad found out the location of their camp, he launched his night attack with possibly 7, 000 to 10, 000 horsemen.

Some accounts state that Vlad freely went into the Turkish camp, disguised as an Ottoman, and wandered around to find the location of the Sultan's tent.

Vlad and his men would attack the camp in the night.

The skirmish would cause great confusion in the Ottoman camp.

Vlad the Impaler himself aimed for the tent of the Sultan

as he routed the enemy cavalry, but by mistake went for the tent of 2 high-ranking officials and killed them instead.

This battle is remembered as the Night Attack at Targoviste and the total casualties for the conflict are numbered as 5, 000 for the Wallachian side and 15, 000 for the Ottomans.

This feat is a further testament that Vlad was a man of action, carrying out feats himself, something rare in a man of his importance.

The Sultan Mehmed and his army's morale were low with the spread of plague and the chaotic attack on their camp, however, They pressed on and would reach the city of Targoviste but found it deserted.

What the Ottomans did find left them horrified and shocked.

They saw thousands of stakes with Ottoman prisoners of war impaled on them that stretched as far as the eye could see.

The Ottomans would gaze on 20, 000 impaled corpses.

Hamza Pasha, a commander of the Ottoman fleet and a high-ranking general the Sultan, was impaled on the highest stake, to symbolise his high ranking.

A chronicler at the time reported, the Sultan's army entered into the area of the impalements.

There were large stakes, there on which about

20, 000 men, women and children had been spitted.

Infants were affixed to their mothers on the stakes, and birds had made their nests on their entrails.

Although the sight terrified the Sultan's men, the Sultan was amazed at Vlad's actions and said, a man who has done such things is worth much.

The Sultan had admiration for Vlad's dedication to his country and realised he would use horrifying cruelty to cause whatever devastation necessary in order to win the war.

This horrifying display would be remembered to history as the Forest of the Impaled.

This ghastly sight sent a chilling message to the Sultan Mehmed and his troops, sowing fear among the Ottoman ranks.

Witnessing such a gruesome scene, the Ottomans were left demoralised and many turned back, effectively slowing down the Ottoman's invasion.

Vlad still needed more men to defeat the Ottomans and his men were starting to abandon him due to the reputation of the enemy.

Vlad's brother, Radu the Fair, had risen in the ranks of the Ottoman court while Vlad would fight them.

Although Vlad defeated his brother Radu's forces in 2 consecutive battles, The Ottomans had the numbers, Vlad withdrew to the Carpathian mountains, hoping that Matthias Corvinus would help him regain his throne.

Matthias opposed the Ottoman expansionist agenda, but he was also a supporter of Dan III, who dug his own grave and was then beheaded on Vlad's orders.

Vlad negotiated with Matthias, the King of Hungary and Croatia for weeks,

But Matthias did not want to wage war against the Ottomans, knowing what had happened to the great city of Constantinople.

Matthias then had Vlad captured and imprisoned on a false accusation of treason.

Vlad was held in Vizgrad, a small castle town in Hungary for 14 years.

No documents referring to Vlad between the years 1462 and 1475 have been preserved, so we don't know what Vlad got up to during his captivity.

also known as Stefan the Great, sent envoys to King Matthias, urging him to set Vlad free and send him to Wallachia in order to secure a Wallachian ruler who would not submit to the Ottomans.

Matthias recognised Vlad as the lawful prince of Wallachia,

but he did not provide him with military assistance to regain his principality, however, he did set him free after over a decade in captivity.

King Matthias finally freed Vlad and recognised him as the rightful ruler of Wallachia.

Although Vlad had been imprisoned, his fighting days were still not over.

Vlad once again resorted to his terror tactics, mass impaling captured Turkish soldiers and massacring civilians in conquered settlements.

Sultan Mehmed II invaded Moldavia and defeated Stefan III in the Battle of Valia Alba on the 26th of July in the year 1476, in which Stefan the Great lost nearly all of his men.

Soon after, Stefan Bathory, a Hungarian commander and Vlad entered Moldavia, forcing the Sultan to lift the siege of the fortress at Targunant.

Stefan now owed a debt to Vlad and would help him reconquer Wallachia.

Vlad would soon return to Wallachia with his new allies and was crowned on

However, the Ottomans returned and according to some sources, Vlad's army of about 2, 000 were cornered and destroyed by a Turkish force of

The exact circumstances of Vlad's death are unclear.

There are some reports that he died on the battlefield, while others state he was betrayed by his own nobles to bring about an end to his tyrannical rule.

An Austrian chronicler named Jacob Unrest stated that a disguised Turkish assassin murdered Vlad in his camp.

The Ottomans would cut Vlad's body to pieces and sent his head to the Sultan.

Vlad's head was eventually placed on a high stake in Constantinople.

However, local peasant traditions maintain that what was left of Vlad's corpse was later discovered in the marshes of Snagov by monks from the nearby monastery.

Conflicting reports of Vlad's end add some mystery to his death, but his name was immortalised by his terrifying acts of cruelty.

However, at the time, he was regarded as just a ruler who had to be a tyrant in order to defend his people.

As he lived through no ordinary time, Constantinople had fallen and the boundless Ottoman army were perceived as unbeatable.

Vlad the Impaler's unyielding resistance and strategic use of impalement against the Ottoman invaders earned him a fearsome reputation in history.

His ruthless tactics were meant to protect his people and assert his authority over Wallachia.

Despite the gruesome nature of his methods, there

is no denying the significant impact they had in deterring the Ottomans and preserving Wallachia's independence.

While Vlad's reign and tactics were undoubtedly brutal, they demonstrate the lengths to which leaders throughout history have gone to defend their territories and people.

Vlad's legacy as Vlad the Impaler will forever be intertwined with his unwavering defiance against the Ottoman Empire, leaving behind a chilling reminder of the cost of war and the price of survival.

1 of the greatest Romanian poets, Mihai Eminescu, dedicated a historic ballad, the Third Letter, to the valiant princes of Wallachia, including Vlad.

In the poem, he urges Vlad to return from the grave to annihilate the enemies of the Romanian nation.

You must come, O dread impaler, confound them to your care, split them in 2 partitions, hear the fools, the rascals there, Shove them into 2 enclosures, from the broad daylight, in Slium.

Then set fire to the prison and the lunatic asylum.

If you did, make sure to like, subscribe and share, and I'll see you all soon for another history profile.


Speaker 0: The name Dracula has been immortalised by the author Bram Stoker in his 1897 novel about the vampire. However, this Dracula is purely fictional. The real Dracula was named Vlad III, but he also had another name for which he was famed, and that was Vlad the Impaler. Contrary to popular belief, Vlad wasn't considered as a monstrous cruel being in his time. He was a national hero in Romania for his countless deeds of bravery.

His methods, including impalement, were intended to instill fear in the enemy and deter further invasions. Vlad's defiance against a powerful empire demonstrated his willingness to put his life on the line for the freedom and independence of his kingdom. Vlad's greatness remains a topic of debate among scholars and historians. While he is infamous for his cruel and violent methods of rule, he was also a man of action whose rise from a hostage of the Ottoman Empire to the scourge of the Ottomans cemented his name in history. He was a powerful warrior in his own right,

Speaker 1: as well as a ruler who ruled with

Speaker 0: an iron fist. This is his story. Vlad was the second son of Vlad II Dracul, the ruler of Wallachia in modern day Romania. Vlad II had won the nickname Dracul for his membership in the Order of the Dragon. The Order of the Dragon's primary goal was to stop the Ottomans from advancing further into Europe.

Vlad III was born around the year 1428-1431. In a Transylvanian Saxon town, Vlad also had a younger brother named Radu, who would become known as Radu the Fair. Vlad II Dracul seized Wallachia after the death of his half-brother in 1436. Wallachia is a historical region in modern day Romania. Vlad did not support the Ottoman invasion of Transylvania in March of the year 1442.

Speaker 1: As a result, the Ottoman Sultan Murad II ordered him to come to Gallipoli to demonstrate his loyalty. Vlad and Radu accompanied their father to the Ottoman Empire, where they were all imprisoned. Vlad Dracul was released before the end of the year, but Vlad III and Radu remained as hostages to secure their father's loyalty. Despite this, Vlad II still supported the Ottoman's enemies in the Crusade of Varna in

Speaker 0: 1444, which was an unsuccessful military campaign launched by several European leaders to check the expansion of

Speaker 1: the Ottoman Empire into Central Europe. Vlad II Dracul was convinced that his sons would be butchered for the sake of Christian peace. But neither Vlad nor Radu were murdered or mutilated after the rebellion. While Vlad III and his brother Radu were held captive, They were tutored in science, philosophy, languages such as Turkish and the arts. Vlad also became a skilled warrior and became the master of several weapons.

These years as a hostage would unknowingly to the Ottomans forge Vlad the Impaler as he became a savage warrior and was quick to learn. During the young Vlad's captivity, his father and eldest brother Mycrea were murdered, which made Vlad's hatred of the Ottomans grow even more, as he could not be there to defend them. In his eyes, the Ottomans had taken everything from him, his home, his childhood, and his father and brother, and Vlad swore that they would be

Speaker 0: avenged. Nevertheless, he would bide his time, pretending to be loyal to Sultan Murad II and the Ottoman agenda. After these events, Vlad would begin his journey to regain his father's seat as the ruler of Wallachia. However, Vlad's seat was now occupied by Vladislav II, who was rumoured to have assassinated Vlad's father. Vlad III Dracula would soon abandon the Ottomans and would forge an alliance with John Hunyadi, a leading Hungarian military and political figure in Central and southeastern Europe.

Hunyadi would give Vlad Dracula military support and aid. Vlad still longed for the throne. He amassed a small army of mercenaries with the help of Hunyadi and he invaded Wallachia with Hungarian support. On July 22nd 1456,

Speaker 1: when Vlad was still a young man, he encountered Vladislav on the battlefield and the commanders agreed to settle the matter the old way, in single combat. The fight was in front of both armies, then the 2 men clashed. However, Vlad was far more skilled and eventually landed a savage blow on his opponent, killing him. Now no 1 could question his rule. Vlad had regained his ancestral seat, and would promise to protect his people from the Ottomans, and he would soon be known as 1 of the cruelest men of the age.

Speaker 0: During this time, Vlad was described as not very tall, but very stocky and strong, with a cold and terrible appearance, a strong and aquiline nose, swollen nostrils, a thin and reddish face, in which the very long eyelashes framed large, with wide-open green eyes. The bushy black eyebrows made them appear threatening. His face and chin were shaven, but for a moustache, the swollen temples increased the bulk of his head, a bull's neck connected to his head, from which black curly locks hung on his wide-shouldered person. Vlad was still haunted by his past and the death of his father and brother, and he needed retribution.

Speaker 1: He wouldn't rest until he felt they had been avenged. He began to purge all those who had participated in the murder of his father and brother or anyone else he thought was plotting against him. He had them impaled, their bodies would be pushed through a huge spike until they finally died. Vlad's hatred for the Ottomans was also still in his heart. A group of the Ottoman envoys had an audience with Vlad and the envoys decided to keep their turbans on due to their faith, to which Vlad commended them on their religious devotion.

Vlad then said, your turbans shall forever remain on your heads. He then had their turbans nailed to their skulls. This was only the beginning of Vlad's savage cruelty. Vlad would plunder many villages in Transylvania and the stories would reach Germany, recounting that he carried away enemy men, women and children and would have them all impaled without any mercy. Soon enough, a pretender to the throne named Dan III broke into Vlad's kingdom while Vlad was away fighting.

Vlad swiftly marched back to Wallachia and a fight quickly ensued. The result was Dan III's army was completely annihilated and Dan himself was captured. Vlad then would force him to dig his own grave, before having him beheaded in 1460 in front of all of the people of Wallachia, to which they cheered. Dan's entire army and supporters were then impaled. Vlad, to the people of Wallachia, was not only a ruler, he was a warrior that would fight to protect them.

The people saw him as a hero and liberator. After that, he then invaded southern Transylvania and ordered the impalement of all the men and women who had been captured which was now becoming a regular occurrence. Vlad's sadistic tendencies were now showing more and more. During Vlad the Impaler's reign as ruler of Wallachia, the Ottoman Empire was at the peak of its expansionary phase. The Ottomans had already conquered much of the Balkans, including Serbia and Bulgaria, and sought to expand further into Eastern Europe.

Wallachia was 1 of the buffer states, standing in

Speaker 0: the way of the Ottoman ambitions and its rulers were expected to pay tribute and pledge loyalty to the Sultan. During Vlad's rise to power, the Sultan Murad II had died and his warmongering son Mehmed II would conquer Constantinople which was something that was thought impossible. However, Vlad still decided to defy Ottoman demands for submission and tribute. He saw the Ottomans as a threat to his kingdom's independence and took a resolute stand against their expansionist goals. Vlad's resistance was characterised by both military actions and psychological warfare designed to challenge the Ottomans' sense of invincibility.

On the 26th of September in the year 1459, Pope Pius II called for a new crusade against the Ottomans and on January the 14th in the year 1460, at the Congress of Mantua, the Pope proclaimed the official crusade that was to last for 3 years. His plan however failed, as 1 of the only European leaders that showed enthusiasm for the crusade was Vlad the Impaler, whom the Pope held in high regard. Because of the lack of enthusiasm shown by the Europeans for the crusade, Sultan Mehmed took the opportunity to take an offensive stand. 1 of Vlad the Impaler's allies, Mihai Silaji, the regent of the Kingdom of Hungary was captured in the year 1460 by the Turks, while travelling in Bulgaria. His men were tortured to death while Selagi was sawed in half.

This conveys the level of savagery during this war and why Vlad may have been driven to use tactics of extreme cruelty. In April of the year 1462,

Speaker 1: the Sultan moved with his army from Constantinople with the objective of conquering Wallachia and annexing the land to his empire. After learning of Vlad's campaign, he raised an army of

Speaker 0: 150, 000 men. The Sultan's army consisted of tens of thousands of infantry soldiers, cavalry and 120 cannons. Vlad was outnumbered by this terrifying enemy and he would resort to using a scorched earth tactic, leaving nothing but ash and death in order for the enemy to use more supplies. He not only scarred the land, but also poisoned the waters and created marshes by diverting the waters of small rivers. Vlad would also adopt guerrilla tactics and his cavalry made several hit and run attacks.

He would also send ill people suffering from lethal diseases such as leprosy and tuberculosis, and in more significant numbers, those who suffered from the bubonic plague, to intermix with the Ottoman army and infect them. He was successful in this regard and the bubonic plague managed to spread around the Ottoman army. Nevertheless, the Ottomans continued with their advance towards Targoviste in Romania. When Vlad found out the location of their camp, he launched his night attack with possibly 7, 000 to 10, 000 horsemen.

Speaker 1: Some accounts state that Vlad freely went into the Turkish camp, disguised as an Ottoman, and wandered around to find the location of the Sultan's tent. Vlad and his men would attack the camp in the night. The skirmish would cause great confusion in the Ottoman camp. Vlad the Impaler himself aimed for the tent of the Sultan

Speaker 0: as he routed the enemy cavalry, but by mistake went for the tent of 2 high-ranking officials and killed them instead. This battle is remembered as the Night Attack at Targoviste and the total casualties for the conflict are numbered as 5, 000 for the Wallachian side and 15, 000 for the Ottomans.

Speaker 1: This feat is a further testament that Vlad was a man of action, carrying out feats himself, something rare in a man of his importance. The Sultan Mehmed and his army's morale were low with the spread of plague and the chaotic attack on their camp, however, They pressed on and would reach the city of Targoviste but found it deserted. What the Ottomans did find left them horrified and shocked. They saw thousands of stakes with Ottoman prisoners of war impaled on them that stretched as far as the eye could see. The Ottomans would gaze on 20, 000 impaled corpses.

Hamza Pasha, a commander of the Ottoman fleet and a high-ranking general the Sultan, was impaled on the highest stake, to symbolise his high ranking. A chronicler at the time reported, the Sultan's army entered into the area of the impalements. There were large stakes, there on which about

Speaker 0: 20, 000 men, women and children had been spitted. Infants were affixed to their mothers on the stakes, and birds had made their nests on their entrails. Although the sight terrified the Sultan's men, the Sultan was amazed at Vlad's actions and said, a man who has done such things is worth much. The Sultan had admiration for Vlad's dedication to his country and realised he would use horrifying cruelty to cause whatever devastation necessary in order to win the war. This horrifying display would be remembered to history as the Forest of the Impaled.

This ghastly sight sent a chilling message to the Sultan Mehmed and his troops, sowing fear among the Ottoman ranks. Witnessing such a gruesome scene, the Ottomans were left demoralised and many turned back, effectively slowing down the Ottoman's invasion. Vlad still needed more men to defeat the Ottomans and his men were starting to abandon him due to the reputation of the enemy. Vlad's brother, Radu the Fair, had risen in the ranks of the Ottoman court while Vlad would fight them. Although Vlad defeated his brother Radu's forces in 2 consecutive battles, The Ottomans had the numbers, Vlad withdrew to the Carpathian mountains, hoping that Matthias Corvinus would help him regain his throne.

Matthias opposed the Ottoman expansionist agenda, but he was also a supporter of Dan III, who dug his own grave and was then beheaded on Vlad's orders. Vlad negotiated with Matthias, the King of Hungary and Croatia for weeks,

Speaker 1: But Matthias did not want to wage war against the Ottomans, knowing what had happened to the great city of Constantinople.

Speaker 0: Matthias then had Vlad captured and imprisoned on a false accusation of treason. Vlad was held in Vizgrad, a small castle town in Hungary for 14 years. No documents referring to Vlad between the years 1462 and 1475 have been preserved, so we don't know what Vlad got up to during his captivity. Stefan III of Moldavia,

Speaker 1: also known as Stefan the Great, sent envoys to King Matthias, urging him to set Vlad free and send him to Wallachia in order to secure a Wallachian ruler who would not submit to the Ottomans. Matthias recognised Vlad as the lawful prince of Wallachia,

Speaker 0: but he did not provide him with military assistance to regain his principality, however, he did set him free after over a decade in captivity. King Matthias finally freed Vlad and recognised him as the rightful ruler of Wallachia. Although Vlad had been imprisoned, his fighting days were still not over. Vlad once again resorted to his terror tactics, mass impaling captured Turkish soldiers and massacring civilians in conquered settlements. Sultan Mehmed II invaded Moldavia and defeated Stefan III in the Battle of Valia Alba on the 26th of July in the year 1476, in which Stefan the Great lost nearly all of his men.

Soon after, Stefan Bathory, a Hungarian commander and Vlad entered Moldavia, forcing the Sultan to lift the siege of the fortress at Targunant. Stefan now owed a debt to Vlad and would help him reconquer Wallachia. Vlad would soon return to Wallachia with his new allies and was crowned on

Speaker 1: the 26th of November in the year

Speaker 0: 1476.

Speaker 1: However, the Ottomans returned and according to some sources, Vlad's army of about 2, 000 were cornered and destroyed by a Turkish force of

Speaker 0: 4, 000 warriors. The exact circumstances of Vlad's death are unclear. There are some reports that he died on the battlefield, while others state he was betrayed by his own nobles to bring about an end to his tyrannical rule. An Austrian chronicler named Jacob Unrest stated that a disguised Turkish assassin murdered Vlad in his camp. The Ottomans would cut Vlad's body to pieces and sent his head to the Sultan.

Vlad's head was eventually placed on a high stake in Constantinople. However, local peasant traditions maintain that what was left of Vlad's corpse was later discovered in the marshes of Snagov by monks from the nearby monastery. Conflicting reports of Vlad's end add some mystery to his death, but his name was immortalised by his terrifying acts of cruelty. However, at the time, he was regarded as just a ruler who had to be a tyrant in order to defend his people.

Speaker 1: As he lived through no ordinary time, Constantinople had fallen and the boundless Ottoman army were perceived as unbeatable. Vlad the Impaler's unyielding resistance and strategic use of impalement against the Ottoman invaders earned him a fearsome reputation in history. His ruthless tactics were meant to protect his people and assert his authority over Wallachia. Despite the gruesome nature of his methods, there

Speaker 0: is no denying the significant impact they had in deterring the Ottomans and preserving Wallachia's independence. While Vlad's reign and tactics were undoubtedly brutal, they demonstrate the lengths to which leaders throughout history have gone to defend their territories and people. Vlad's legacy as Vlad the Impaler will forever be intertwined with his unwavering defiance against the Ottoman Empire, leaving behind a chilling reminder of the cost of war and the price of survival. 1 of the greatest Romanian poets, Mihai Eminescu, dedicated a historic ballad, the Third Letter, to the valiant princes of Wallachia, including Vlad. In the poem, he urges Vlad to return from the grave to annihilate the enemies of the Romanian nation.

You must come, O dread impaler, confound them to your care, split them in 2 partitions, hear the fools, the rascals there, Shove them into 2 enclosures, from the broad daylight, in Slium. Then set fire to the prison and the lunatic asylum. I hope you all enjoyed the video. If you did, make sure to like, subscribe and share, and I'll see you all soon for another history profile.

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Wallachia's Greatest Warrior | Vlad the Impaler