Vlad II (also known as Dracul or "The Dragon") (c. 1390 - December 1447) was a voivode, or prince, in the principality of Wallachia (now a southern province in present day Romania). He reigned from 1436 to 1442, and again from 1443 to 1447. Events Births December 27 - Anne de Mortimer, claimant to the English throne (died 1411) Domenico da Piacenza, Italian dancemaster (died 1470) John Dunstable, English composer (died 1453) Engelbrekt Engelbrektsson, Swedish statesman and rebel leader (died 1436) Humphrey, Duke of Gloucester (died 1447) John VIII Palaeologus Byzantine Emperor (died 1448) Deaths... Look up December in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Events March 6 - Nicholas V becomes Pope. ... For the heavy metal music band see Voivod (band). ... Below is the list of Wallachian rulers, since the first mentioned until the unification with Moldavia in 1859. ... Map of Romania with Wallachia in yellow. ... Events April - Paris is recaptured by the French End of the Hussite Wars in Bohemia. ... Events The community of Rauma, Finland was granted its town rights. ... Events Albanians, under Skanderbeg, defeat the Turks John Hunyadi defeats Turks at the Battle of Nis Vlad II Dracul begins his second term as ruler of Wallachia, succeeding Basarab II. Births January 27 - Albert, Duke of Saxony (died 1500) February 23 - Matthias Corvinus of Hungary (died 1490) May 17 - Edmund... Events March 6 - Nicholas V becomes Pope. ...

Family

He was a member of the royal House of Basarab and son of Mircea cel Bătrân. The ruler of Wallachia was officially a vassal of the King of Hungary. He was also Frontier Commander (sort of marquess) with the responsibility of protecting commerce and trade routes from Transylvania to Wallachia for the Roman Catholic Church. Although Vlad II was in favor with the Roman Catholic Church, he is known to have murdered members of the rival royal House of Dăneşti, a not-so-distant relation to his own father's House of Basarab. The House of Basarab was founded by Basarab I. This is of course how he gained power in Wallachia, upon returning from exile in Transylvania in 1436. The Basarabs were an early dynasty which had an important role in the establishing of the Wallachian Principality. ... The title given to this article is incorrect due to technical limitations. ... This is a list of all rulers of Hungary since Árpád. ... A marquess is a nobleman of hereditary rank in various countries under the crown of European nations. ... This article is in need of attention from an expert on the subject. ... Catholic Church redirects here. ... Posada Battle Basarab I was an early ruler of the principality of Wallachia, known as ÃŽntemeietorul (The Founder) (c. ...

Order of the Dragon

Vlad II Dracul received his title "Dracul" from his induction into the Order of the Dragon. In 1431, he was titled into the "Order of the Dragon" by Holy Roman Emperor Sigismund, a creed designed to gain political favor for the church and to protect the Hungarian-Romanian royal family from the Ottoman Empire of the Turks. The Order of the Dragon was founded on December 13, 1408, with Sigismund (then King of Hungary) as an original founding member. The Order of the Dragon (German: Drachenorden; Latin: Societas Draconistrarum) is an order of selected nobles modeled on the Order of St. ... Events February 21 - The trial of Joan of Arc March 3 - Eugenius IV becomes Pope May 30 - In Rouen, France, 19-year old Joan of Arc is burned at the stake. ... The Order of the Dragon (German: Drachenorden; Latin: Societas Draconistrarum) is an order of selected nobles modeled on the Order of St. ... Sigismund (February 14/15, 1368 - December 9, 1437) was Holy Roman Emperor from 1433 to 1437. ... This is the current Article Improvement Drive collaboration! CAST YOUR VOTE for next weeks article For the thrash metal band, see The Ottoman Empire. ... December 13 is the 347th day of the year (348th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Events December 13 - The Order of the Dragon is officially formated under King Sigismund of Hungary. ... Sigismund (February 14/15, 1368 - December 9, 1437) was Holy Roman Emperor from 1433 to 1437. ...

Turks

In 1444, the King of Hungary, Ladislaus III of Poland, broke the peace with the Ottoman Empire and launched the Varna campaign under the command of the 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 II was commanded to join the crusade against the Turks, but declined. The Pope absolved Dracul of his Turkish oath but demanded that he send his son Mircea II instead. Perhaps he hoped the sultan would spare his younger sons if he himself did not join the crusade. The Christian army was destroyed in the Battle of Varna. John Hunyadi escaped the battle. Many, including Mircea and his father, blamed Hunyadi for the debacle. This was the start of the hostility of John Hunyadi; and Vlad Dracul and his eldest son. Events March 2 - Gjergj Kastriot Skanderbeg proclaimed commander of the Albanian resistance April 16 - Truce of Tours. ... Categories: Poland-related stubs | 1424 births | 1444 deaths | Hungarian monarchs | Polish monarchs | Dukes of Sieradz-Leczyca ... John Hunyadi John Hunyadi (Latin: Ioannes Corvinus, Hungarian: Hunyadi János, Romanian: Iancu (or Ioan) de Hunedoara) (c. ... Europe is conventionally considered one of the seven continents of Earth which, in this case, is more a cultural and political distinction than a physiographic one. ... The Pope (from Greek: pappas, father; from Latin: papa, Papa, father) is the head of the Catholic Church. ... Mircea was a ruler of the principality of Wallachia, in the year 1442. ... Combatants Hungary, Poland and others Ottoman Empire Commanders Wladislaus III Janos Hunyadi Murad II Strength 30,000 120,000 Casualties 11,000 13,000 {{{notes}}} The Battle of Varna took place on November 10, 1444 near Varna in eastern Bulgaria. ... John Hunyadi John Hunyadi (Latin: Ioannes Corvinus, Hungarian: Hunyadi János, Romanian: Iancu (or Ioan) de Hunedoara) (c. ...

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 politcal interests and similar anti-Turkish sentiment.) Events March 6 - Nicholas V becomes Pope. ... A boyar (also spelled bojar; Romanian: boier) was a member of the highest rank of the feudal Russian and Romanian aristocracy, second only to the ruling princes, from the 10th through the 17th century. ... Map of Romania showing Târgovişte The title given to this article is incorrect due to technical limitations. ... Portrait of Vlad III Vlad III Dracula (Also known as Vlad Ţepeş /tsepesh/ in Romanian or Vlad the Impaler) born November/December, 1431 - died December 1476, and reigned as Prince of Wallachia 1448, 1456-1462 and 1476. ...

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. Vlad III is better known as Dracula or Vlad the Impaler. Vlad II had at least two other sons, Mircea, Dracula's elder brother, and Radu the Handsome, Dracula's younger brother. Little is known of Radu. Bela Lugosi as Dracula; U.S. postage stamp first issued in 1997 as part of a series celebrating Famous Movie Monsters Dracula (1897) is a novel by Irish author Bram Stoker, and the name of the worlds most famous vampire character. ... Portrait of Vlad III Vlad III Dracula (Also known as Vlad Ţepeş /tsepesh/ in Romanian or Vlad the Impaler) born November/December, 1431 - died December 1476, and reigned as Prince of Wallachia 1448, 1456-1462 and 1476. ... Radu cel Frumos (Radu the Handsome), (1435-1475), was the younger brother of Vlad Ţepeş (Vlad the Impaler; actually Vlad III). ...

Note

"Dracula" loosely translates as "Son of Dracul," although history will no doubt most remember Vlad II as "Father of Dracula". An alternative translation of Dracul is devil, in addition to dragon. During his time Vlad II was also known as the Vlad II, the Devil. This connotation was not meant to be demeaning, but to be similar to the aura of fierceness granted to Edward, son of Edward III of England, by his nickname, "The Black Prince". The Devil is the name given to a supernatural entity, who, in most Western religions, is the central embodiment of evil. ... Chinese dragon, colour engraving on wood, Chinese school, 19th Century A dragon is a legendary creature, typically depicted as a large and powerful serpent or other reptile, with magical or spiritual qualities. ... Edward of Woodstock, Prince of Wales, KG, known as the Black Prince (June 15, 1330 – June 8, 1376) was the eldest son of King Edward III of England and Philippa of Hainault. ... Edward III (13 November 1312 – 21 June 1377) was one of the most successful English kings of medieval times. ...

External link

• Vlad II's genealogy