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The regions of Moldavia, Transalvania and
Walachia, in the south of ancient
Hungary, were populated by people from
Northern Greece named the Daci. After a
series of wars with the Romans, the
region became part of Byzantium (the
Eastern Roman Empire) named Dacia. By the
begining of the 4th Century, the Huns
from central Asia had taken control of
the region. The death of Attila the Hun
in 453 AD, saw Germanic tribes take
control or the region, but only until the
Mongol invasion in 1240. After the
decline of the Mongol Empire, the native
inhabitants decended from their mountain
refuges. By 1290, the principality of
Walachia had been founded by Rudolph the
Black. By 1330, Walachia had gained
independance from Hungary.
Vlad's grandfather, Prince Mircea,
ruled Walachia from 1386 - 1418. Although
he lost a series of battles against the
Ottoman Turks, he and his decendants were
allowed to continue rulling as vassals of
the Ottoman Empire. The Ottoman (Islamic)
Turks, captured the eastern Roman Empire
capital Constantinople in 1453. They
renamed the city Istanbul soon after.
Prince Mircea had an illegitimate son
named Vlad, born around 1390. Educated in
Hungary and Germany, Vlad fought for
Hungary against the Turks. His bravery in
battle saw him named Dracul, meaning
dragon or son of devil. Hungary made Vlad
Military Governor of Transalvania, a post
he held from 1431 - 1435.
In 1437, Vlad killed Alexandru I of
Walachia, this allowing him to become
Vlad II of Walachia. At that time, he was
caught up in the war between Hungary and
the Turks.
In 1444, he sent his two youngest sons
to Turkey, Vlad and Radu. In 1447, Vlad
II and his eldest son were assasinated by
the Hungarians. The Hungarians then
apointed Vladislav II as Prince of
Walachia.
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In 1448, the Turks sent the
young Vlad, who they named Dracula
(son of Dracul) and an army to
regain control of Walachia.
Although Dracula defeated Vladislav
II in the fist battle, Vladislav II
regained control a few months
later, this forcing Dracula into
exile in Moladavia.
Three years later, Vladislav II
had become a supporter of Turkey.
The Hungarian's then gave their
support to Dracula. The death of
Vladislav II soon followed.
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Dracula's return to rule saw him
establish Trigoviste as his
capital. He also had a mountain top
fort built at Poenari, its ruins
are now known as Castle
Dracula.
Bran
Castle, where he stayed at
times, is also often reffered to as
Castle Dracula.
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Of his many forms of brutal execution,
impaling was his favourite. He liked to
impale as many people at one time as
possible, even women and children, for
minimal reasons. It is said he had the
bodies of more than 20,000 hanging
outside his capital city. That was the
time when he earned the name Vlad the
Impaler.
In 1462, Dracula attacked the Turks to
drive them out of the region to the south
Walachia. With an army three times the
size, the Turks drove him back to his
capital Tirgoviste. After seeing the
20,000 dead (the forest of the impaled)
they were so horrified, they turned back.
The Turks then supplied Dracula's younger
brother Radu with an army to invade
Walachia. Although Radu took control of
Walachia, Dracula managed to escape to
Hungary.
After the death of Radu in 1474,
Dracula, with the help of Transalvanians
and Moldavians, managed to recapture
Walachia in 1476. Within a few months of
regaining control, Dracula was attacked
by Turks and killed in battle near
Bucharest. It is thought he was killed by
his own men, either by accident, or
deliberate.
The Turks displayed his head on a pike
in Istanbul to prove his death. His
headles body was beleived to have been
buried at a medievil monastery on an
island in Lake Snagov north of
Budapest/Romania.
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In 1931, archaeologists
searching Snagov found a casket
partially covered in a purple
shroud embroidered with gold. The
skeleton inside was covered with
pieces of faded silk brocade,
similar to a shirt depicted in an
old painting of Dracula.
The casket also contained a
crown, with turquoise stones. A
ring, similar to those worn by the
Order of the Dragon, was sewn into
a shirtsleeve. The contents were
taken to the History Museum in
Bucharest, they have since
disappeared without a trace.
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Transalvania and Walachia were united
in the 20th Century, becoming known as
the national state of Romania.
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