Which Ottoman sultan fought against Vlad the Impaler?

Ottoman Sultan Mehmed II fought against Vlad the Impaler during the Ottoman campaign in Wallachia in 1462.

The conflict began after Vlad refused to submit personally to the sultan and had two Ottoman envoys captured and impaled. Vlad then attacked Ottoman territory along the Danube, claiming that he was defending Wallachia and Christendom against Ottoman expansion. His campaign reportedly killed tens of thousands of Ottoman soldiers and civilians, although medieval casualty figures are often debated.

Mehmed II responded by leading a major army into Wallachia. His aim was to remove Vlad and replace him with Vlad’s younger brother, Radu, who had spent years at the Ottoman court. Vlad avoided a conventional decisive battle and used raids, scorched-earth tactics, and a famous night attack near Târgoviște to weaken the invading forces.

Although Vlad’s resistance became legendary, Mehmed’s campaign ultimately helped Radu gain control of Wallachia. Vlad later returned to power briefly, but he died in 1476 or early 1477. Mehmed II is sometimes confused with Murad II, who was his father and preceded him as sultan; the major 1462 campaign against Vlad was Mehmed’s.