Vlad III Dracula, better known as Vlad the Impaler, was a voivode (prince) of Walachia (part of modern Romania) during the 15th century. Surrounded by enemies that included the Hungarians, the Ottomans, his younger brother, and Walachian nobility, Vlad employed extremely cruel measures to inspire fear in those who opposed him. He earned his nickname by impaling his enemies on stakes.