phillyflyers
- Joined
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Vlad the Impaler aka Vlad III aka Vlad Tepes aka Vlad Dracula was born in 1431 in the town of Sighisoara, Romania. A region that borders on Transylvania.
On the day that Vlad was born a comet passed over Europe. This was going to be a special birth, indeed.
Now, modern historians are quick to expound on Vlad's cruelty, often painting him as a maniac.
This couldn't be more wrong.
His father was a member in the order of the Dragon. A special unit of the Catholic Church dedicated to preventing the muslim conquest of Europe.
His father was called and known as Vlad Dracul or Vlad the Dragon. Hence, when Vlad was born, he became known as Vlad Dracula with the added "a" on the end meaning "son of." Son of the Dragon.
There are historical documents still in existence that Vlad actually signs his name as Vlad Dracula.
At that time, as previously mentioned, Europe faced the greatest threat it ever saw in it's history.
Across the border, in Turkey, was one of the greatest and mightiest empires the world ever saw up to that point. The Ottoman Empire.
The Ottomans sought nothing less than to conquer Europe, wipe out Christendom completely, and enslave all of Europe under the yoke of Islam.
It was Vlad alone, vastly outnumbered, who stood by himself against this seemingly unstoppable force.
In June 1462, Sultan Mehmed II led a massive Ottoman army—possibly over 150,000 men—into Wallachia to depose Vlad the Impaler and install his brother, Radu, as ruler.
Outnumbered, (it is said Vlad had a force of less than 30,000 at his disposal, many young men with no battle experience), Vlad used scorched earth tactics: he destroyed crops, poisoned wells, and harassed the Ottomans with guerrilla attacks as they advanced toward the capital, Târgoviște.
The most famous clash was the Night Attack at Târgoviște on June 17, when Vlad led a surprise night raid on the Ottoman camp, aiming to kill or capture Mehmed II. The attempt failed, but it caused chaos and heavy casualties among the Ottomans.
When Mehmed entered Târgoviște, he found it deserted except for a horrifying "forest" of thousands of impaled corpses—Vlad’s psychological warfare. Shocked by the brutality, Mehmed soon withdrew, burning the port of Brăila as he retreated. Both sides claimed victory: Mehmed left with prisoners and loot, but Vlad had successfully repelled the main Ottoman invasion.
For this reason, Vlad should rightfully be considered by historians as among the very greatest Christian defenders the world ever saw.
Dracula could not be defeated.
Not an overwhelming and unstoppable force, not a at-the-time undefeated ruler, not a cruel and absolute religion, could defeat Dracula.
Had this man failed in his mission, it is not a stretch to say this would look like a vastly different world and one that none of us would want to be a part of.
I feel a certain kinship to Vlad, on a personal level.
I have a bust of his head in my home. Right next to a statue of the Virgin Mary.
Thank God for Vlad.
On the day that Vlad was born a comet passed over Europe. This was going to be a special birth, indeed.
Now, modern historians are quick to expound on Vlad's cruelty, often painting him as a maniac.
This couldn't be more wrong.
His father was a member in the order of the Dragon. A special unit of the Catholic Church dedicated to preventing the muslim conquest of Europe.
His father was called and known as Vlad Dracul or Vlad the Dragon. Hence, when Vlad was born, he became known as Vlad Dracula with the added "a" on the end meaning "son of." Son of the Dragon.
There are historical documents still in existence that Vlad actually signs his name as Vlad Dracula.
At that time, as previously mentioned, Europe faced the greatest threat it ever saw in it's history.
Across the border, in Turkey, was one of the greatest and mightiest empires the world ever saw up to that point. The Ottoman Empire.
The Ottomans sought nothing less than to conquer Europe, wipe out Christendom completely, and enslave all of Europe under the yoke of Islam.
It was Vlad alone, vastly outnumbered, who stood by himself against this seemingly unstoppable force.
In June 1462, Sultan Mehmed II led a massive Ottoman army—possibly over 150,000 men—into Wallachia to depose Vlad the Impaler and install his brother, Radu, as ruler.
Outnumbered, (it is said Vlad had a force of less than 30,000 at his disposal, many young men with no battle experience), Vlad used scorched earth tactics: he destroyed crops, poisoned wells, and harassed the Ottomans with guerrilla attacks as they advanced toward the capital, Târgoviște.
The most famous clash was the Night Attack at Târgoviște on June 17, when Vlad led a surprise night raid on the Ottoman camp, aiming to kill or capture Mehmed II. The attempt failed, but it caused chaos and heavy casualties among the Ottomans.
When Mehmed entered Târgoviște, he found it deserted except for a horrifying "forest" of thousands of impaled corpses—Vlad’s psychological warfare. Shocked by the brutality, Mehmed soon withdrew, burning the port of Brăila as he retreated. Both sides claimed victory: Mehmed left with prisoners and loot, but Vlad had successfully repelled the main Ottoman invasion.
For this reason, Vlad should rightfully be considered by historians as among the very greatest Christian defenders the world ever saw.
Dracula could not be defeated.
Not an overwhelming and unstoppable force, not a at-the-time undefeated ruler, not a cruel and absolute religion, could defeat Dracula.
Had this man failed in his mission, it is not a stretch to say this would look like a vastly different world and one that none of us would want to be a part of.
I feel a certain kinship to Vlad, on a personal level.
I have a bust of his head in my home. Right next to a statue of the Virgin Mary.
Thank God for Vlad.
