Before Bram Stoker’s vampire, there was Vlad III, the 15th-century Voivode of Wallachia known as "Dracula"—meaning "son of the dragon",. In this episode of pplpod, we dive into the violent life of the man called Țepeș (the Impaler), exploring how a childhood spent as a hostage of the Ottomans shaped his brutal approach to leadership,. We discuss his legendary scorched-earth tactics against Sultan Mehmed II, including the infamous "Night Attack" at Târgoviște and the terrifying "forest of the impaled" that left the Ottoman army dumbfounded,.

From purging treacherous boyars to allegedly nailing turbans to envoys' heads, we examine the fine line between the German horror stories of a "demented psychopath" and the Russian narratives of an "evil-wise" statesman,,. Finally, we cover his political betrayal and 14-year imprisonment under K ...