Diego de León, 1st Count of Belascoáin

{{Short description|Spanish military figure}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2024}}

Image:El general Diego de León y Navarrete, conde de Belascoain (Museo del Ejército).jpg

{{family name hatnote|De León|Navarrete|lang=Spanish}}

Don Diego de León y Navarrete (March 30, 1807 in Córdoba{{cite book |last1=Díaz |first1=Nicomedes-Pastor |title=Memorias de una campaña periodística [1839-43] Biografía de Diego de León y Navarrete. Biografía de Ramón Cabrera. Suplemento a la biografía del duque de Rivas |date=1868 |publisher=M. Tello |page=192 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zhM3AQAAMAAJ&dq=Diego+de+Le%C3%B3n+%2230+de+marzo+de+1807%22+cordoba&pg=PA192 |access-date=21 February 2024 |language=es}} – October 15, 1841 in Madrid{{cite book |title=Historia de España: gran historia general de los pueblos hispanos |date=1937 |publisher=Instituto Gallach de Librería y Ediciones |page=343 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=IwjxskkPluIC&q=Diego+de+Le%C3%B3n+%2215+de+octubre+de+1841%22+madrid |access-date=21 February 2024 |language=es}}) was a Spanish military figure. He was the son of Diego Antonio de León and Maria Teresa Navarrete y Valdivia. As a young man he joined the Spanish army as a cavalryman, and was promoted to the rank of captain at the age of 17.{{cite web |title=Diego Antonio de León y Navarrete|url=https://dbe.rah.es/biografias/15700/diego-antonio-de-leon-y-navarrete |website=dbe.rah.es |access-date=21 February 2024}}

He fought in the southern front during the First Carlist War on the side of the Liberals (Christinos), and made himself famous for marching at the head of his lancers and riding at the spot where the enemy was most numerous. At Arcos de la Frontera, in charge of a squadron of 72 horsemen, he managed to detain a Carlist column until Liberal reinforcements arrived.{{cite book |last1=Carbonell |first1=Ignacio Danvila |title=Diego de León, la primera lanza del reino |date=1 January 2008 |publisher=Vision Libros |isbn=978-84-9821-063-7 |pages=52–53 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ecfPOM260KMC&q=setenta%20y%20dos |access-date=21 February 2024 |language=es}} He was awarded the Cross of Saint Ferdinand as a result (Cruz Laureada de San Fernando).

On the northern front, he fought at the Battle of Mendigorría{{cite book |title=Historia de D. Diego León, Primer conde de Belascoain : Con una relación de todas sus hazañas, y hechos de armas durante la Guerra Civil, hasta su fusilamiento en octubre de 1841 |date=1841 |publisher=Imprenta de D. J. M. Marés |location=Madrid |url=https://archive.org/details/HCa029120/page/n7/mode/2up?q=Mendigorr%C3%ADa |access-date=21 February 2024}} and later captured Belascoáin from the Carlists in 1838, thereby earning his noble title.

In 1840, he was named Captain-General of New Castile.{{cite book |last1=Manzano |first1=Rafael |title=Los grandes capitanes españoles |date=1960 |publisher=De Gassó Hnos |page=230 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ZZUNAQAAIAAJ&q=Diego+de+Le%C3%B3n+%221840%22+nueva+castilla |access-date=21 February 2024 |language=es}}

He was a member of the Moderate Party (Partido Moderado), and with the fall of the regent María Cristina de Borbón during the reign of Isabel II, he went into exile in France. In 1841 he joined O'Donnell's revolt against Baldomero Espartero. Diego de León was arrested and later executed by firing squad.