The Inspiration Behind Dracula, Vlad the Impaler

Vlad III, Prince of Wallachia (1431–1476), also known by his patronymic Dracula (son of the Dragon (Vlad II) Dracul), and posthumously dubbed Vlad the Impaler (Romanian: Vlad Țepeș pronounced [ˈvlad ˈt͡sepeʃ]), was a three-time Voivode of Wallachia, ruling mainly from 1456 to 1462, the period of the incipient Ottoman conquest of the Balkans. His father was a member of the Order of the Dragon (Dracul) and Dracula means son of the Dragon to indicate his father's title within the Order of the Dragon.

Vlad III is remembered for spending much of his rule campaigning efforts against the Ottoman Empire and its expansion^[3]and for the impaling of enemies.^[4] Already during his lifetime, his reputation of excessive cruelty spread abroad, toGermany and elsewhere in Europe. The total number of his victims is estimated in the tens of thousands. The name of thevampire Count Dracula in Bram Stoker's 1897 novel Dracula was inspired by Vlad's patronymic.^{[4] (Taken from Wikipedia)}

For a Vlad Tepes PowerPoint click HERE.

Nosferatu (1922), Directed by F.W. Murnau & Starring Max Schreck 

Dracua (1931), Directed by Tod Browning & Starring Bella Lugosi

Bram Stroker's Dracula (1992), Directed by Francis Ford Coppola & Starring Gary Oldman