i'm no expert on vlad dracule but on a learning channel / discovery documentary it was claimed that when he was imprisoned by the turks early in his life as a hostage for a peace treaty, he was repeatedly shown executions, including impalements, probably as a ploy to muck him up as a future leader of a potential enemy.
i guess it backfired, as after he rose to power he was pretty effective against said turks, who afterwards referred to him as the prince of darkness, impaling his path to victory...
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