In 1456, Vlad Dracula returned to power after years of exile, political betrayal, and bitter struggles for the Wallachian throne. But reclaiming his father's kingdom was only the beginning.
In Part IV of Land of Myth and Shadows, we enter the darkest years of Dracula's reign.
The powerful Wallachian boyars face a prince determined to break their influence. Across the mountains, the Saxon merchants and towns of Transylvania find themselves drawn into an increasingly violent struggle. And throughout Wallachia, Dracula's terrifying methods of punishment begin creating the reputation that will make his name infamous for centuries.
But how much of the Dracula legend is true? And how did a relatively small principality produce one of the most feared rulers of the fifteenth century?
Join host Frank as we explore the executions, political struggles, brutality, and calculated intimidation that transformed Vlad Dracula into Vlad the Impaler.
And looming beyond the Danube stands an even greater adversary: Sultan Mehmed II, conqueror of Constantinople.
Their confrontation is coming.
LISTEN TO THE DRACULA SERIES
Part I — Land of Myth and Shadows: The Life and Times of Vlad Dracula
Part II — The Life and Times of Vlad Dracula
Find Parts I–III and our complete episode archive:
https://ottomanempirepodcast.com/episodes
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