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Vlad the Impaler can be described as a national hero and one of the most important rulers in Wallachian history and Romania. Vlad the Impaler was the second son of Vlad Dracul who ruled Wallachia in 1436.
It would be recalled that in 1442, Vlad the Impaler and his younger brother, Radu were held as hostages in the Ottoman Empire.
Unfortunately, Vlad the Impaler‘s father and sister were killed upon the invasion of Wallachia by John Hunyadi, regent-governor of Hungary. The second cousin of Vlad the Impaler, Vladislav II, was installed as the new voivode by Hunyadi.
Hunyadi, in the autumn of 1448, launched an attack against the Ottomans accompanied by Vladislav II.
Vlad the Impaler, with the support of the Ottoman, invaded Wallachia but he was not successful. He had to seek refuge in the Ottoman Empire before the end of the year.
At a time when the relationship between Hungary and Vladislav had gone bad, Vlad the Impaler in 1456 invaded Wallachia with the support of Hungary.
Vlad the Impaler’s Death
It was reported that one Basarab Laiotă invaded Wallachia with the support of Ottoman. Vlad the Impaler got killed when he tried fighting against them in December 1476.
The army of Vlad the Impaler which had about 2000 men was defeated by a Turkish-Basarab force of 4,000 near Snagov.
The real details of the death of Vlad the Impaler are not so clear but it was said that a disguised Turkish assassin murdered Vlad the Impaler in his camp.
The body of Vlad the Impaler was said to have been cut into pieces and his head was sent to Mehmed II and eventually placed on a high stake in Constantinople.
Vlad the Impaler’s Wives
Vlad the Impaler was known to have two wives. It is said that one of his wives was the daughter of John Hunyadi, according to historian Alexandru Simon.
The second wife was said to be Justina Szilágyi. Justina Szilágyi was a cousin of Matthias Corvinus.
Vlad the Impaler had a son called Mihnea who was born in 1462 but then the second son of Vlad the Impaler was killed before 1486. Vlad Drakwlya was the third son of Vlad the Impaler. Vlad Drakwlya was unsuccessful in claiming Wallachia in 1495.
Reference:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vlad_the_Impaler
