CRUSADER AGAINST THE TURKS
-Dracula helped launch the brilliant career of the greatest soldier, statesman, and man of culture that the Roman Renaissance produced.
-Dracula ascended to the throne in June 1456, both Chinese and European astronomers documented an unusual comet.
---->Has been since known as-Haley’s Comet
-Superstitious people viewed the comet as a warning of natural catastrophies, plagues, or threats of invasion.
---->Dracula’s astrologers interpreted it as a sign of victory.
-Silvio Piccolomini became Pope Pius II in 1458.
-Pius launched his crusade at the council of Mantua in 1459, warning the rulers in attendance that unless Christian’s banded together to oppose Mehmed, the Sultan would destroy his enemies one by one.
---->Dracula was the only sovereign who responded immediately to the papal plea.
-In spite of his oath to the pope, Dracula remained accommodating to the Turks.
-The relationship began breaking down when Dracula stopped paying the tribute to the Turks
-Turks demanded a payment and a child tribute-no fewer than 500 young boys destined for janissary corps. (Janissary was recruits from various provinces under Balkan control)
-Sultan Mehmed II invited Dracula to come to Constantinople to explain his vassalage violations of the last few years.
-Dracula said he was prepared to come with gifts to Constantinople, in truth he remembered how his father had been tricked.
-Turks laid plan for ambush and they were instructed to capture him dead or alive.
-Dracula found out about their trickery and turned the tables by capturing one of the Sultan’s close associates, Hamza Pasha.
-In 1461, opening hostilities began without a formal declaration of war.
-Mehmed II decided to invade Wallachia during the spring of 1462.
-The sultan gathered the largest Turkish force since the fall of Constantinople.
-Due to the disparity in numbers, Dracula was forced to resort to guerrilla warfare tactics.
-Dracula moved entire populations, systematically burned crops, poisoned wells, and destroyed all animals that could not be herded into the mountains.
-Mehmed’s forces could not find drinkable water for days on one of the hottest summers on record.
-Dracula encouraged all those who were infected with leprosy, tuberculosis, and bubonic plague to dress in Turkish fashion and mingle with Turkish soldiers.
---->If they were to survive they would be handsomely rewarded.
-Dracula set free hardened criminals who were encouraged to kill Turkish stragglers.
-“Night of Terror”-Dracula’s goal was to kill the Sultan as they rested near Tirgoviste. Dracula’s plan ultimately failed although they killed thousands of Turks.
-Turks reached Tirgoviste however found the city desolate, burned, and without food or drink.
-Few miles to the north, Mehmed found about 20,000 impaled cadavers. Including prisoners caught by Dracula in earlier campaigns. The most disheartening were 2 corpses of assassins who tried to kill Dracula in earlier campaigns.
-Mehmed was so shocked at Dracula’s carnage, he withdrew from the campaign.
-Mehmed appointed Radu as commander-in-chief. Radu galvanized the Romanian boyars to fight against Dracula.
-As Dracula stayed in a castle in Poenari. forces gathered around the castle and his wife committed suicide.
-Suicide was not an option for Dracula and he planned a daring late night escape.
-As he planned his escape, his son had fallen off the saddle of a horse however a local shepherd found the boy and took care of him. Years later Dracula rewarded him with 16 mountains and rich supply of fish, sheep, and timber.
-After reaching the mountains, Dracula watched the Turks final assault on the castle.
CASTLE DRACULA p. 60-77
-Castle Bran had vast halls, dark corridors, multilevel basements, high water tower, and a secret passage.
-Dracula was impressed by the features of the castle and made similar arrangements in his own castle on the Arges.
-Analogies between Stoker’s Castle Dracula and the real Castle Bran seem too close to be merely coincidental.
-Dracula’s castle at Poenari has no visible remains.
-Dracula constructed his castle by force against his own countrymen.
---->Ancient Wallachian chronicles this with a story about how he surrounded his citizens and impaled the old citizens. With all those who could work he forced them to work until their clothes were all torn and they were left naked.
-When Dracula ascended to the throne, he exhumed his brother, Mircea, and discovered that his brother was likely to be buried alive.
-On Easter Dracula held a fabulous feast with boyars and their families.
-Later into the party Dracula surrounded the drunken boyars and their families. Dracula would teach them a lesson they would never forget.
-Dracula forced them to trek almost 50 miles and build his new castle. Dracula humiliated the principal merchant class and built his castle retreat.
*Thanks Daniel Ahn*
-Dracula helped launch the brilliant career of the greatest soldier, statesman, and man of culture that the Roman Renaissance produced.
-Dracula ascended to the throne in June 1456, both Chinese and European astronomers documented an unusual comet.
---->Has been since known as-Haley’s Comet
-Superstitious people viewed the comet as a warning of natural catastrophies, plagues, or threats of invasion.
---->Dracula’s astrologers interpreted it as a sign of victory.
-Silvio Piccolomini became Pope Pius II in 1458.
-Pius launched his crusade at the council of Mantua in 1459, warning the rulers in attendance that unless Christian’s banded together to oppose Mehmed, the Sultan would destroy his enemies one by one.
---->Dracula was the only sovereign who responded immediately to the papal plea.
-In spite of his oath to the pope, Dracula remained accommodating to the Turks.
-The relationship began breaking down when Dracula stopped paying the tribute to the Turks
-Turks demanded a payment and a child tribute-no fewer than 500 young boys destined for janissary corps. (Janissary was recruits from various provinces under Balkan control)
-Sultan Mehmed II invited Dracula to come to Constantinople to explain his vassalage violations of the last few years.
-Dracula said he was prepared to come with gifts to Constantinople, in truth he remembered how his father had been tricked.
-Turks laid plan for ambush and they were instructed to capture him dead or alive.
-Dracula found out about their trickery and turned the tables by capturing one of the Sultan’s close associates, Hamza Pasha.
-In 1461, opening hostilities began without a formal declaration of war.
-Mehmed II decided to invade Wallachia during the spring of 1462.
-The sultan gathered the largest Turkish force since the fall of Constantinople.
-Due to the disparity in numbers, Dracula was forced to resort to guerrilla warfare tactics.
-Dracula moved entire populations, systematically burned crops, poisoned wells, and destroyed all animals that could not be herded into the mountains.
-Mehmed’s forces could not find drinkable water for days on one of the hottest summers on record.
-Dracula encouraged all those who were infected with leprosy, tuberculosis, and bubonic plague to dress in Turkish fashion and mingle with Turkish soldiers.
---->If they were to survive they would be handsomely rewarded.
-Dracula set free hardened criminals who were encouraged to kill Turkish stragglers.
-“Night of Terror”-Dracula’s goal was to kill the Sultan as they rested near Tirgoviste. Dracula’s plan ultimately failed although they killed thousands of Turks.
-Turks reached Tirgoviste however found the city desolate, burned, and without food or drink.
-Few miles to the north, Mehmed found about 20,000 impaled cadavers. Including prisoners caught by Dracula in earlier campaigns. The most disheartening were 2 corpses of assassins who tried to kill Dracula in earlier campaigns.
-Mehmed was so shocked at Dracula’s carnage, he withdrew from the campaign.
-Mehmed appointed Radu as commander-in-chief. Radu galvanized the Romanian boyars to fight against Dracula.
-As Dracula stayed in a castle in Poenari. forces gathered around the castle and his wife committed suicide.
-Suicide was not an option for Dracula and he planned a daring late night escape.
-As he planned his escape, his son had fallen off the saddle of a horse however a local shepherd found the boy and took care of him. Years later Dracula rewarded him with 16 mountains and rich supply of fish, sheep, and timber.
-After reaching the mountains, Dracula watched the Turks final assault on the castle.
CASTLE DRACULA p. 60-77
-Castle Bran had vast halls, dark corridors, multilevel basements, high water tower, and a secret passage.
-Dracula was impressed by the features of the castle and made similar arrangements in his own castle on the Arges.
-Analogies between Stoker’s Castle Dracula and the real Castle Bran seem too close to be merely coincidental.
-Dracula’s castle at Poenari has no visible remains.
-Dracula constructed his castle by force against his own countrymen.
---->Ancient Wallachian chronicles this with a story about how he surrounded his citizens and impaled the old citizens. With all those who could work he forced them to work until their clothes were all torn and they were left naked.
-When Dracula ascended to the throne, he exhumed his brother, Mircea, and discovered that his brother was likely to be buried alive.
-On Easter Dracula held a fabulous feast with boyars and their families.
-Later into the party Dracula surrounded the drunken boyars and their families. Dracula would teach them a lesson they would never forget.
-Dracula forced them to trek almost 50 miles and build his new castle. Dracula humiliated the principal merchant class and built his castle retreat.
*Thanks Daniel Ahn*
