Vlad II Dracul

Vlad II (also known as Dracul or The Dragon; cca. 1390 - December 1447) was a voivode, or prince, of Wallachia. He reigned from 1436 to 1442, and again from 1443 to 1447.

Family

He was a member of the princely House of Basarab, and son of Mircea cel Bătrân. The rulers of Wallachia were officially vassals of the King of Hungary, as well as margraves with the responsibility of protecting commerce and trade routes from Transylvania to Wallachia for the Roman Catholic Church. Although Vlad II was in favor of Catholicism, he is known to have murdered members of the rival princely House of Dăneşti, a not-so-distant relation to his own father's House of Basarab, and gained power in Wallachia, upon returning from exile in Transylvania in 1436.

Order of the Dragon

Vlad II Dracul received his title "Dracul" from his induction into the Order of the Dragon. In 1431, he was created a member by Sigismund, the Holy Roman Emperor, as part of a design to gain political favor for the Catholic Church and to aid in protecting Wallachia against the Ottoman Empire. The Order itself had been founded founded by Sigismund, as King of Hungary, the previous year.

Ottoman campaign

In 1444, the new King of Hungary, Ladislaus of Varna, broke the peace with the Ottoman Empire and launched the Varna campaign, under the command of the Kingdom's governor-general John Hunyadi, in an effort to drive the Turks out of Europe. Hunyadi demanded that Vlad II fulfill his oath as a member of the Order of the Dragon and a vassal of Hungary: Vlad was commanded to join the crusade against the Turks, but declined to do so. Pope Eugene IV absolved Dracul of his promise, but demanded that he send his son Mircea II instead (it is likely that Vlad had originally denied the request in an effort to prevent his sons from being convoked). The Christian army was destroyed in the Battle of Varna; Hunyadi escaped the scene, and was blamed by many, including Mircea and his father, for the debacle. This marked the start of hostilities between Hunyadi on one side and Vlad Dracul and his eldest son on the other.

Death

In 1447, Vlad Dracul was assassinated along with his son Mircea (according to some sources, on Hunyadi's orders). Mircea was buried alive by the boyars and merchants of Târgovişte. Hunyadi placed his own candidate, a member of the Dăneşti clan, on the throne of Wallachia. This member would latter be assassinated, prompting Vlad III to once again begin the battle his father could not win, the battle for the throne of Wallachia. (The younger Vlad and Hunyadi eventually put their animosity aside and became allies shortly before the latter's death, due to common political interests and similar anti-Ottoman sentiment.)

Legacy

Although Vlad II was a successful general, accomplished ruler, and ordained medieval royalty, he is best known for the exploits of his son, Vlad III, better known as Dracula or Vlad the Impaler. Vlad II had at least two other sons, Mircea II, Dracula's elder brother, and Radu the Handsome, Dracula's younger brother. Little is known of Radu.

Note

"Dracula" loosely translates as "Son of Dracul," although history will likely remember Vlad II mostly as the "Father of Dracula". An alternative translation of Dracul is devil, in addition to dragon. The former connotation, if indeed present, would not have been meant as demeaning, but rather as similar to the aura of fierceness granted to Edward, son of Edward III of England, by his nickname, "The Black Prince".

External links

Vlad II's rather reliable geanealogy
Vlad II's somewhat debated pedigree etc - e.g, his descent from Mongol warlords is not a confirmed historical fact

Rulers of Wallachia | 1390s births | 1447 deaths