Forums → Art, Music, and Writing → My Report on Vlad Tepes, AKA Vlad the Impaler

How many people have heard of Vlad Tepes? I adventure the guess not too many. You have likely heard of his some what fictional charecter, Count Dracula. The line between what is real and phony in the life of Vlad Tepes is murky at best but I will try to share what is real about the life of the Count.

Vlad the 3rd, Prince of Wallachia, was also know as Dracula. Dracula means "Son of the Dragon". Vlad, was born in 1431 and he had a short but adventureous life, dieing at the age of 45. When he died, he was dubbed, "Vlad the Impaler". Vlad the Impaler's father traveled to Germany in 1431 to join the "Order of the Dragon". The group was based on a oath that they would fight the Ottoman Empire. Vlad the 3rd's father, Vlad the 2nd,was the politcal head of a region in Romania called, Wallachia. When Vlad was a child, he was raised in the town of Targouiste, where he went to school and learned geography, mathematics, science, classical arts, philiosophy and the German, Slavic and Latin languages. He also learned combat skills.

Vlad the 2nd, was ousted by rivals but with support from the Ottoman Empire, was again gifted the throne of Wallachia. To get the Ottoman Support, Vlad the 2nd agreed that his region would pay a special tax to the non-musslims, called Jieya. He also agreed to send his two sons to serve as hostages. While a hostage, Vlad the Impaler, was imprisened and almost always whipped and beaten because of his stubborn behavior. Meanwhile, his brother, Radu, convirted to Islam and was well cared for. These years added up to his hatred against the Ottoman Turks, his brother, and his own father.

In 1447, Vlad the 2nd, was murdered by the Christians. Vlad the 3rd, returned to Wallachia and took over as leader. The region of Wallachia was in very poor shape, due to no trade, failing agricultre, and high crime. Vlad the 3rd was determined to fix and boost the economy, the military and its agrculture. To do so, he limited cheap imports, built new villages for peasents, boosting his economy, he treated the lower and higher classes equally when it came to crime and punishment.

Remembering his poor treatment with the Ottomans, in 1459, Pope Pius the 2nd called a new crusade against the Turks. Vlad the 3rd, was the only European leader to agree. He wanted to get Sultan Mehmed the 2nd into a war. To do so he had Turk convoys killed, saying they did not "Raise their turbans", when they met him, so he had their turbans nailed to their heads. Sultan Mehmed the 2nd ordered troops and convoys and envoys, to make peace with Vlad Tepes, or kill him. Vlad set out and descovered the ambush and all 10,000 Turkish soldiers were captured and impaled on sticks.

The Ottoman, Sulten Mehmed the 2nd, repeaditlly raised troops and ordered them to kill Vlad. Vlad's cunning military force defeated them each time. Vlad's name was celebrated in all of Europe, with a Venitan Envoy saying, "All of Christiandom (The Christian Europe) should celebrate and give thanks for Vlad Tepes's victories against the Turks." Meanwhile, Vlad's younger brother Radu, was tasked with killing Vlad and defeating all of Romania. He led a greatly suplied legion against Vlad and obtained the backing of the Boyers Dynasty, who still hated Vlad for his love of serfs, and poor people, who finally surrounded Vlad's castle. Vlad managed to escape the clutches of the Boyers and traveled to his old friend's Matthias Corvinus in Hungary to ask for money and support of troops to fight with. Corinus had been given the greatly needed money from the Pope to use to fight the Ottomans, but had spented on himself and his luxury. Instead, he imprinsoned Vlad, and then forged a letter to the Pope that explained Vlad was secretly helping the Ottomans and turned this fake letter over to the Pope as an explaination of his actions.

Vlad was imprisened for nearly 10 years by Corinus. Eventually, the two came upon a understanding and vlad was set free. Vlad once again obtained the Hungarian Support and marched back to Wallachia, where he established his third reign as leader and ruler. After little more than two months, he was assinated, sometime aound January 10, 1477. Vlads head was later taken to the Ottoman Empires capital of Constanitople as a trophy.

Ultimitly, Vlad the 3rd lived a short but adventurous and cruel life. Vlad the 3rd was a much more interesting man then the fictional charecter of his ego, "Count Dracula" of books and movies.


That is my report