The ruthless Vlad the Impaler, also known as Dracula, ruled 15th-century Romania with an iron fist. Confronted by the mighty Ottoman Empire, he audaciously impaled 23,000 captured enemies, creating a grotesque battlefield that struck terror into his foes and secured victory. Some hail Vlad as a hero, while his brutal tactics inspired Bram Stoker's legendary vampire. Born in 1431 in Transylvania, Vlad endured a tumultuous childhood. He and his younger brother Radu were held hostage by the Ottoman