Vlad Tepes

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Vlad III of Wallachia, aka Dracula, Vlad Tepes, Vlad the Impaler.

Vlad is one of history's real fun boys.  He had the nickname "Impaler" at a time when impalement was as common a sight as a Starbucks.  The story of the golden cup by the well is probably true.  Vlad was very strict, but I don't think he was mad.  He seems to have been a pretty tense individual, but simply torturing thousands of people to death does not make one crazy.  





Mehmed II, Sultan and conqueror of Constantinople

Now this guy, Sultan, decided he had enough of Vlad's bullshit and invaded Wallachia.  Vlad kept falling back and falling back, while the mountains and forests played hob with the Turkish army.  One night outside of Tergoviste, Vlad attacked the Sultan and almost killed him.  Mehmed ran and hid.  Vlad had only half his army, the other half was led by a general that did not attack as ordered.  I have never been able to find out what happened to this man, but I can imagine.  
The Sultan's army headed toward Tergoviste and there they came upon-





The Forest of the Impaled

Vlad impaled 20,000 people, allegedly Turks, outside Tergoviste.  You read that right.  This is one of the few statistics from that time that has been attested to over and over.  The Turks retreated, with Mehmed famously saying, "But what can be done with such a man"?
Vlad had his moments.





Castle Dracula.  He had several of them, but this seems to be the one everyone likes the best.

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