The Horrifying True Story of Vlad the Impaler: The Real Dracula

Discover the Vlad the Impaler true story, a historical narrative far darker and more complex than any vampire fiction ever written. While the world knows him as the inspiration for Bram Stoker’s Dracula, the real man—Vlad III—was a 15th-century Wallachian prince caught in a deadly vice between the expanding Ottoman Empire and the Kingdom of Hungary. This documentary peels back the layers of myth to reveal the brutal strategic genius who turned terror into a weapon of state.
From his traumatic childhood as an Ottoman hostage alongside his brother Radu the Handsome, to his vengeful war against the treacherous Wallachian Boyars who buried his brother alive, Vlad’s life was defined by betrayal. We explore the psychological breaking point that led to the infamous Forest of the Impaled, a psychological warfare tactic so horrifying that it turned back the army of Sultan Mehmed the Conqueror.
You will witness the detailed breakdown of the Night Attack at Târgoviște, a suicide mission where Vlad infiltrated the enemy camp in disguise to assassinate the Sultan. We also uncover the lesser-known historical facts, such as the use of biological warfare, the scorching of the earth, and the chilling diplomatic incident involving Ottoman envoys nailed turbans. Finally, we analyze how a smear campaign involving German pamphlets and the printing press transformed a national hero into a cannibalistic monster in the eyes of the West.
Join us as we travel from the ruins of Poenari Castle to the dungeons of Visegrád to understand the man behind the impalement. Was he a psychopath, or a desperate ruler doing whatever was necessary to save his country from annihilation? Watch the full Vlad the Impaler true story to decide for yourself.

HISTORICAL SOURCES:
Historia Rerum Ungaricarum by Antonio Bonfini
Memoirs of a Janissary by Konstantin Mihailović
The German Stories (Die Geschicht Dracole Waida) - 15th Century Pamphlets
Letter of Vlad to Matthias Corvinus (February 11, 1462)

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