Vlad the Impaler death is one of the controvert subjects about him. What we certainly know is he died at the end of 1476, in a battle against the Turks, somewhere around Bucharest, but the cause of his death it remains unknown.

The location of the battle is still an open debate. Some people say it was North of Bucharest, near Balteni village, following the Romanian historian Nicolae Iorga. He based his supposition on a document he found.

But other historians demonstrated that document speaks about a battle of Vlad II the Dragon, the father of Vlad Dracula. They sustain the Vlad III battle was South of Bucharest, on a hill between Bucharest and Giurgiu.

Knowing Vlad tactics against the Turks I’d say it was South of Bucharest. Why? Bucharest was at that time Vlad’s capital. I can’t see him choosing a plain field of battle and letting his own capital with no defense in the way of his enemies, especially a small army. Because nobody heart ever about a large Turkish army going on battle in cold snowy winter.

It was, the most probably, a plundering Turkish army. This can be easy beaten with guerrilla tactics. A good place and quick surprising attacks can be the winners. And what is the best place? The plain forest from North, where the enemy can be disturbed but the thin and rare trees can’t hide your army? Or… the hills and swamps from South where you can build thousand traps for your enemy?

But, once again, as much time the documents miss, these are only suppositions. We’ll never know for sure.

We also know for sure that he was beheaded and his head was sent to Constantinople where it was shown impaled in a stake as proof that Kaziklu Bey (the Turkish for Vlad the Impaler) was dead.

But how did he die and by whom sword? All you’ll hear about are only suppositions.

1. Some sources say he was assassinated by disloyal Wallachian boyars just as he was about to gain that battle. The most possible compared with the other two.
2. Others say Vlad lost that battle fighting to death together to his loyal people. The question is … Did Vlad soften so much in his imprisonment time that he couldn’t win a battle against a Turkish plundering army? Possible, too, but hard to believe.
3. The third variant is that Vlad, at the moment of victory, was accidentally struck down by one of his own men. This seems to me the less possible because, supposing it’s true, Vlad’s loyal people would never let his head to arrive in Turks hands.

So many unknowns about how did the Impaler die! Perhaps this is another false course what drove so many people to believe he’s a vampire.