Vlad the Impaler

Summary

Not too many people realize that the story of Dracula was based on a really sadistic ruler in Romania. Vlad the Impaler, or Vlad the Third, was a merciless despot who tried to make an example out of his opponents by impaling them and displaying them in public. He also enjoyed bathing in dead people’s blood and did some other gross, inhumane things. He was the terror of Eastern Europe for many years.

What made this tyrant so effective at warfare, so vicious in his raids, and so brutal when he captured enemies?

How was his relationship with the Pope in Rome?

Which other conquerors were fighting him at the time?

Why was there so much friction with the Ottoman Empire?

Learn about this, as well as his background, his marriage, his death, and his legacy. Find out why vampire stories have been derived from this dictator, and why he has been listed as one of the evilest people in history.