Vlad III, Prince of Wallachia (1431–1476), more commonly known as Vlad the Impaler (Romanian: Vlad Țepeș pronounced [ˈvlad ˈt͡sepeʃ]) or simply as Dracula, was a three-time Voivode of Wallachia, ruling mainly from 1456 to 1462.
Historically, Vlad III is best known for his resistance against the Ottoman Empire and its expansion[3] and for the impaling of enemies.[4]
Vlad III is believed to have inspired the association of his name to that of the vampireCount Dracula in Bram Stoker's 1897 novel Dracula.[4]