1431 - the birth of Vlad, Vlad the Devil's second son, and the future king Vlad the Impaler;
1442-1448 - Young Vlad is sent hostage to the Otoman Empire;
Historical Background To appreciate the story of Vlad III it is essential to understand the social and political forces of the region during the 15th century. In broad terms this is a story of the struggle to obtain control of Wallachia, a region of the Balkans (in present-day southern Romania) which lay directly between the two powerful forces of Hungary and the Ottoman Empire. More>>
King Sigismund of Hungary, who became the Holy Roman Emperor in 1410, founded a secret fraternal order of knights called the Order of the Dragon to uphold Christianity and defend the Empire against the Ottoman Turks. Its emblem was a dragon, wings extended, hanging on a cross. More>>
Early Life of Vlad Tepes - Dracula (1431-1476)
Vlad III, known as Vlad Tepes - Dracula, was born in November or December of 1431 in the Transylvanian city of Sighisoara. At the time his father, Vlad II (Vlad Dracul), was living in exile in Transylvania. The house where he was born is still standing. More>>
More than anything else the historical Dracula is known for his inhuman cruelty. Impalement was Vlad III’s preferred method of torture and execution. Impalement was and is one of the most gruesome ways of dying imaginable, as it was typically slow and painful. More >>
Dracula related Anecdotes
There are about nine anecdotes that are almost universal in the Vlad Dracula literature. They include the following... More>>
The End of Vlad Tepes - Dracula
Although Vlad III Dracula experienced some success in fending off the Turks, his accomplishments were relatively short-lived. He received little support from his titular overlord, Matthius Corvinus, King of Hungary, and Wallachian resources were too limited to achieve any lasting success against the powerful Turks. More>>
There are about nine anecdotes that are almost universal in the Vlad Dracula literature. They include the following... More>>
Although Vlad III Dracula experienced some success in fending off the Turks, his accomplishments were relatively short-lived. He received little support from his titular overlord, Matthius Corvinus, King of Hungary, and Wallachian resources were too limited to achieve any lasting success against the powerful Turks. More>>
