Luis Alejandro de Bassecourt y Dupire

Luis Alejandro Bassecourt y Dupire (1769–1826) was a French-born Spanish military commander, governor of Barcelona and captain general.

Peninsular War

Having been promoted to Fusilier captain in 1805, following the Dos de Mayo Uprising that took place in Madrid on 2–3 May 1808, Bassecourt managed to escape to Andalusia where he was given the task of forming a new battalion of Walloon Guards from the non-French prisoners taken at the Battle of Bailen. He was promoted to brigadier that August and marched his new battalion to Zaragoza to join Castaños's army. There, the unit became the 1st Battalion of the Walloon Guards. Following the Spanish defeat at Tudela Bassecourt withdrew to Cuenca. at Tarancón on Christmas Day 1808.

Sent to join Juan Carlos Aréizaga, who had taken over Venegas's command, Bassecourt did not arrive in time to participate at Ocaña.

On 15 October 1811, together with Mahy's troops, Bassecourt occupied the city of Cuenca, which had been abandoned by its garrison. However, he was forced to withdraw into the mountain range of Las Cabrillas the following month by the approach of Darmagnac's division. Reinforced by José Pascual de Zayas y Chacón's division, Bassecourt then forced the French troops to withdraw back to Cuenca.

Following the fall of Valencia (January 1812), Bassecourt was forced to abandon the province of Cuenca, first withdrawing to Requena and then into Aragon.

Post-war career

Bassecourt was promoted to lieutenant general in 1815, and lieutenant colonel of the 2nd Regiment of Infantry Guards in 1819.

Confined to barracks at Salamanca when the Constitution was declared by the Trienio Liberal (1820–1823), he was appointed commander-in-chief of the province when the Duke of Angoulême's Hundred Thousand Sons of Saint Louis entered Spain.

Ferdinand VII of Spain appointed Bassecourt governor of Barcelona in 1823 and second-in-command of the Captaincy general of Catalonia the following year.

In 1824 he was appointed captain general of Valencia and Murcia; the following year, captain general of Granada and captain general of Aragón.