On This Day In History: Vlad II Known As Vlad Dracul (‘Vlad The Dragon’) Was Born – On August 30, 1400

AncientPages.com - On August 30, 1400, Vlad II, Vlad Dracul ('Vlad the Dragon'), was born.

He reigned from 1436 to 1442 and again from 1443 to 1447. He was the father of Mircea II, Vlad Calugarul (English: Vlad the Monk), Vlad III Dracula/ Vlad Tepes, 'the Impaler'), and Radu III the Beautiful.

Vlad II Dracul of Wallachia. Public Domain

Vlad II received the surname Dracul in 1431 after being inducted into the Order of the Dragon, founded in 1408 by the King Sigismund of Hungary (the later Holy Roman Emperor), as part of a design to gain political favor from the Catholic Church and to aid in protecting Wallachia against the Ottoman Empire.

Vlad II Dracul gained power in Wallachia upon returning from exile in Transylvania in 1436.

The identity of Vlad's first wife is unknown. Vlad, having numerous mistresses, also fathered several illegitimate children.

In 1436, Vlad Dracul ascended the throne. Vlad Dracul attempted to follow a middle ground between his two powerful neighbors for six years.

When the prince of Wallachia was officially a vassal of the King of Hungary, Vlad was still a member of the Order of the Dragon and was sworn to fight the infidel. At the same time, the power of the Ottomans seemed unstoppable. Vlad and his father, Mircea the Old, were forced to pay tribute to the Sultan.

In 1442 Vlad attempted to remain neutral when the Turks invaded Transylvania. The Turks were defeated, and the vengeful Hungarians under John Hunyadi—the White Knight of Hungary--forced Vlad Dracul and his family to flee Wallachia. In 1443 Vlad regained the Wallachian throne with Turkish support, but on the condition that he would pay a yearly contingent of Wallachian boys to join the Sultan's Janissaries. In 1444, to assure the Sultan of good faith, Vlad sent his two younger sons--Vlad III and Radu the Handsome--to Adrianople as hostages.

In 1444 Hungary broke the peace and launched the Varna Campaign to drive the Turks out of Europe. Vlad Dracul had to join the campaign against the Turks.

But rather than join the Christian forces, Vlad sent his oldest son, Mircea, and hoped the Sultan would spare his younger sons if he did not join the crusade.

The Christian army was destroyed in the Battle of Varna. In 1447 Vlad Dracul was assassinated along with his son Mircea. Mircea was buried alive by the boyars and merchants of Tirgoviste.

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