Prince of Wallachia (three reigns: 1448, 1456–62, 1476–77) — famous for impaling his enemies (reportedly 20,000–100,000 people, including Ottoman forces) — whose terror tactics against Ottoman invaders made him a national hero in Romania and the inspiration for Dracula.
Demonstrates terror as strategic deterrent — Vlad's systematic impalement was not pure sadism but a calculated strategic tool: the sight of a forest of impaled corpses (reportedly including a Turkish army) caused Mehmed II's invasion force to retreat despite superior numbers.
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