Everyone knows Count Dracula. The pale guy with the sharp teeth has a taste for blood and sleeps at night in his coffin, which stands on soil from Transylvania. But woe betide anyone who comes near him with garlic or a wooden stake! So much for Bram Stoker's famous story. As creative as the author was, he didn't make it all up. He was inspired by a real person: Vlad Ţepeş from Romania.
Ironically, Stoker never visited the location. He did not need to, as the cruel ruler "Vlad the Impaler" was known far beyond the country's borders. However, what exactly did he do? What is true, and where did the author's imagination run wild?
For most Romanians, Vlad Ţepeş III is still a fearless hero who protected their country from the invading Ottomans. However, he was not gentle with his enemies, as his nickname "The Impaler" suggests. Vlad III was born into a cruel time. In medieval Wallachia (a region in southern Romania), public executions and torture were nothing unusual. In addition, January 1418 saw very violent disputes over the throne following the death of Mircea the Elder. Incidentally, he was Vlad's grandfather.
The path to the throne was difficult
Mircea's son, Vladislav II, finally became king in 1436 after several power struggles with his brothers for the throne. After ascending to the throne, he made a deal with the battle-hardened Ottomans. Their success on the battlefield can be seen in the length of time their empire lasted. From 1299 to 1922, the Ottomans were feared worldwide. Only a few years later, Vlad II regretted his decision and joined an "anti-Ottoman" group led by the Transylvanian Hunyadi.
However, when he finally turned his back on them in order to remain neutral towards the powerful Turkish army, it was his death sentence. In 1447, he was killed in an ambush by Hunyadi's men. When his eldest son, the heir to the throne Mircae II, was also buried alive by Hunyadi's followers, Vlad III's time had come. He took over the rule of the country in 1448.
However, he did not remain on the throne for long. Just two months later, he was deposed and forced to flee to Moldova to the court of his uncle Bogdan II. After his uncle was also murdered, he spent some time in Transylvania. Finally, a total of eight years after his deposition, he returned to the court in Tirgoviste. He was determined to avenge the deaths of his father and brother. And to that end, he was prepared to use any means necessary.
The ruler first "cleans up" his country
He executed his enemies cruelly, had rebels, criminals, and even beggars impaled, and left their bodies on display in the village as a warning. He ruled with an iron fist and knew the power of fear that his actions instilled. Stories such as the one about a golden cup in a well near Tirgoviste, which was never stolen during his reign despite its enormous value, show that his tactics worked. He was also known for drinking the blood of his enemies in order to absorb their strength.
Around the same time, he also adopted the name Drăculea, derived from his father's nickname. His father was a member of the "Order of the Dragon," whose goal was to defend the Christian world against the Ottomans.
Then he sets out against the Ottomans.
By 1459, all rebellions had been crushed and his army was stronger than ever. Vlad III had also had more fortresses built and was preparing for a major attack against the Ottomans. When an envoy of the sultan arrived to demand more tribute from the ruler, he made an example of him. He impaled the Ottoman ambassador and sent his army across the Danube to conquer the Turkish fortresses. In a letter to King Matthias Corvinus, he describes the impalement of tens of thousands of people during a raid in 1461. A year later , the Ottomans struck back. They waged a bloody campaign against Wallachia.
However, Vlad III did not leave any land for his enemies to plunder. He burned his own villages and poisoned the wells to discourage the Turkish army. But they advanced further into the country and finally stood before the abandoned throne fortress of Tirgoviste. However, they could not rejoice for long over the conquest of the fortress. Just a few kilometers further on, they found a veritable battlefield. Twenty thousand of their men had been impaled on stakes. A sea of tortured bodies now served as carrion for the birds. This was too much for the conquerors. They withdrew from Wallachia, but not before occupying the throne and ruling the country from the fortress of Tirgoviste.
His request for help backfires
Vlad III sought support for the impending battle for control of Wallachia from the Hungarian king Matthias Corvinus. But the latter stabbed him in the back. Instead, he took him prisoner and locked him up in an underground dungeon in the capital for twelve years. In 1476, he was released and, with the help of Stephen the Great, managed to recapture the throne. Just a few months later, he was killed in a battle against the ruler Bassarab Laiotă, who was supported by the Turks. Rumor has it that his head was sent to the Sultan in Constantinople as a trophy and sign of victory. Other sources claim that his entire body was buried in Comana.
As with all historical figures and events, the facts have been somewhat "adjusted" over time. While Romanian sources emphasize Vlad III's heroic deeds and courage, other documents focus primarily on the ruler's bloodlust. As is usually the case, the truth probably lies somewhere in between.
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Sources:
Vlad Tepes – Vlad the Impaler
ISBN: 978-606-051-035-2
Bucharest: Ad Libri, 2025
https://www.britannica.com/biography/Vlad-II-Dracul
https://www.britannica.com/biography/Vlad-the-Impaler
Guided tour in Bucharest on December 29, 2025
Photos:
Cover image: Portrait of Vlad III from the late 16th century from Ambrass Castle in Innsbruck. The work is in the public domain as the copyright has expired.
Remaining images: Ingrid Müller
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