Vlad II. Dracul

Vlad II Dracul ( Vlad the Dragon, * 1395, † 1447 ) was from 1436 to 1442 and from 1443 to 1447 prince of Wallachia.

As an illegitimate child Mircea Batrans born in 1395, Vlad spent part of his youth as a hostage at the court of Sigismund of Luxembourg, the later Holy Roman Emperor. In 1430 he was responsible for the safety of the Wallachian border with Transylvania. He received his nickname by the inclusion in the North Dragon (Societas Draconis ) Emperor Sigismund in Nuremberg. Knight on behalf of the Dragon pledged to defend Christianity against the armies of the Ottoman Empire.

History

The recorded in Nuremberg in the Order Vlad II Dracul returned to Sighisoara, where he also had the right to mint coins. 1436 he put together on the orders of Sigismund troops in Transylvania and fell below its ruling in Wallachia younger half-brother Alexandru Aldea, who maintained good relations with the Turks. With the approval of Sigismund he ascended the throne as the Prince of Walachia in the capital Targoviste.

Then, the long-lasting hostility to Basarab family developed. After the death of Sigismund Vlad Dracul signed an alliance with the Turks in 1437, inspired by the peasant uprising of Bobalna. During the invasion of Transylvania in 1438, he accompanied the army led by Murad II. On March 22 of the year 1442 he allowed Bey Mezid with a 16000-20000 strong army to pass through Wallachia in the invasion of Transylvania. The Turkish army came before to Sibiu; However, it was pushed back by the Hungarians in Wallachia. Vlad Dracul left shortly the throne to his son Mircea II, but the he lost to Basarab II. With the help of the Turks succeeded Vlad the following year to regain the throne. In order to strengthen the alliance with the Turks, but also to pressure the Sultan, Vlad the meanwhile appeared to be unreliable because of his maneuvering between the Ottoman Empire and Hungary, Vlad sent his sons Vlad III. Dracula and Radu cel Frumos hostage to the Ottoman Empire and eluded so maybe even his impending arrest and dismissal by the Turks. Given a new Christian Crusade against the Ottomans sent Vlad in 1444 his eldest son Mircea II with troops to support the Turks, since the agreement with the Turks was previously closed should not be jeopardized. In the following Battle of Varna came to largely destroy the Christian army and the death of King Ladislaus I of Hungary.

1447 was John Hunyadi Hungarian troops march. Either Vlad Dracul was near Targoviste, in his last battle, or he was murdered shortly thereafter. His final resting place he found near a monastery in Bălteni. The throne became Vladislav II A year later tried his son, Vlad III. Dracula, to usurp the throne again and take revenge for his father.