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Don Diego de León y Navarrete (March 30, 1807 inCórdoba[1] – October 15, 1841 inMadrid[2]) was a Spanish military figure. He was the son of Diego Antonio de León and Maria Teresa Navarrete y Valdivia.[1] As a young man he joined theSpanish army as acavalryman, and was promoted to the rank of captain at the age of 17.[3]
He fought in the southern front during theFirst Carlist War on the side of the Liberals (Christinos), and made himself famous for marching at the head of hislancers and riding at the spot where the enemy was most numerous. AtArcos de la Frontera, in charge of a squadron of 72 horsemen, he managed to detain a Carlist column until Liberal reinforcements arrived.[4] He was awarded theCross of Saint Ferdinand as a result (Cruz Laureada de San Fernando).
On the northern front, he fought at theBattle of Mendigorría[5] and later capturedBelascoáin from theCarlists in 1838, thereby earning his noble title.
In 1840, he was named Captain-General ofNew Castile.[6]
He was a member of the Moderate Party (Partido Moderado), and with the fall of the regentMaría Cristina de Borbón during the reign ofIsabel II, he went into exile in France. In 1841, he joinedO'Donnell's revolt againstBaldomero Espartero. Diego de León was arrested and later executed by firing squad.[2]
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