Vlad Tepes, also known as Vlad the Impaler, and even more infamously known as Dracula defended Romania against the Ottoman Empire in some of the most horrific ways imaginable. His hatred and desire for revenge left lasting effects on the world and in popular culture. What are the facts that inspired the fiction?

Vlad III, most commonly known as Vlad the Impaler or Vlad Dracula, was Voivode of Wallachia three times between 1448 and his death. He is often considered one of the most important rulers in Wallachian history and a national hero of Romania.