Vlad III (the Impaler)

Timeline

1. 1436–1448Edirne (Ottoman court) · ThraceVlad III and his brother Radu were sent with their father Vlad II to the Ottoman court as hostages to ensure Wallachia's loyalty to the sultan. The brothers grew up in the Ottoman environment, developing very different characters and political orientations. After their father and elder brother were killed in 1448, Vlad III briefly took the Wallachian throne for the first time.
2. 1456–1462Târgoviște · WallachiaIn 1456 Vlad III killed Vladislav II and regained the Wallachian throne, imposing a harsh rule to consolidate power—suppressing the nobility at home and refusing tribute to the Ottoman Empire. In 1459–1460 he launched raids on Ottoman frontiers, seen as a threat by Sultan Mehmed II. In 1462, as the Ottoman army advanced, Vlad III carried out his famous scorched-earth tactics and night attacks before withdrawing into Transylvania.
3. 1462–1476Transylvania · TransylvaniaAfter withdrawing to Transylvania in 1462, Vlad III was held captive by Hungarian King Matthias I for about twelve years. After his release, through the diplomatic mediation of Moldavian Prince Stephen III, he briefly recaptured the Wallachian throne for a third time in 1476, dying in battle a few months later at an uncertain location.