Vlad Tepes ("the Impaler") Dracula is a contentious figure not only because the Prince of Wallachia (1448, 1456-1462, 1476) served as the inspiration for Bram Stoker's vampire count (1897), which has generated immense resonance in literary studies. From a historical perspective, the Voivode (Slavic for "war leader") is of interest because he responded to Pope Pius's call for a crusade following the Ottoman conquest of Constantinople in 1453. His authoritarian attempts to maintain internal political order and his efforts to give his country the aura of a "bulwark of Christianity" were particularly notable. Due to this historiographical and cultural memory significance, there is an impression that his reign has been thoroughly researched. However, the level of knowledge remains largely respectable, still reflecting the interwar period.