Vlad the Impaler was once one of the most ruthless and wicked men of all time. But every crazy, crazy leader has a reason why they are crazy. Many factors throughout Vlad III's life contributed to his inanity. Vlad was born in 1431 in Wallachia and grew up as a Christian. His father Vlad II, king of Wallachia, was known as Dracul or "the dragon", because he was part of the Order of the Dragon. It was a Christian military order supported by the Holy Roman Empire. Vlad III was very proud of his father and his family and called himself Dracula, meaning "son of the dragon." Wallachia, which lay on the border of Transylvania and the Ottoman Empire, was caught in the middle of numerous battles between Christians and Turks. This meant that Vlad II had to have many meetings with the southern Turks. One of the meetings went wrong when Vlad II, Vlad III and Vlad III's brother Radu were captured and tortured by the Turks in 1442. The Turks had released their father Vlad II on the condition that he leave his two sons behind them. Once their father was released, the two boys were tortured and taught lessons in Turkish customs. They had tried to convert both boys into becoming Muslims, and while Vlad's brother Radu had become a puppet of the Turks, Vlad had great hatred for the Turks and for what they had done to him. He disowned his brother and slowly planned his revenge against the Turks. By being trapped by the Turks, Vlad had learned a lot. He had learned how to fight, how to lead an army, and how to be a great leader. He had also learned, through public execution, his preferred form of killing, impalement. In 1447, Vlad's father and older brother were assassinated by local warlords, allowing Vlad III to now take over his homeland... middle of paper. ......imprisoned in Transylvania for 12 years. Once released, he resumed his throw. His people, knowing that the suffering would return, cut off his head and threw his body in a ditch. Then his head was encased in honey by the Turks and placed on a high stake for the entire Ottoman Empire to see. Vlad III, or Vlad Dracula, is one of the most horrific rulers in history. He was mad and bloodthirsty, and his desire for revenge would never be satisfied. It was a strange coincidence that just as he enjoyed killing people, he was impaled in plain sight. Works Cited Cooper-White, Macrina. “Meet Vlad the Impaler, the bloodthirsty ruler behind the legend of Dracula.” The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, October 31, 2013. Web. March 3, 2014. “The Baddest Men in History “Vlad the Impaler”” YouTube. Discovery Channel, October 30, 2013. Web. March 3. 2014.