Juan van Halen – Wikipédia

Don Juan van Halen y Sarti , Count Rake , born the February 16, 1788 in Isla de León, Cadiz and died on November 8, 1864 In El Puerto de Santa María, Cadiz at the age of 76, is a Spanish soldier liberal .

He was general in Spain, Russian colonel in the Caucasus, lieutenant general in Belgium ^{[ first ]} and active mercenary in several conflicts.

Juan Van Halen has Spanish and Italian origins and ancestry in the Belgiques Netherlands. His younger brother, Antonio Van Halen, is also a soldier.

He was trained at the school of nobles and the school of the pages of His Majesty, coinciding there in 1800 with the high liberal officers and ‘afrancesados’ François and Mariano de Unzaga Saint Maxent, with Joseph Marie Torrijos or with the count montijo ^{[ 2 ]} .

Between 1817 and 1818, he veged in the dungeons of the Inquisition of Spain and ended up escaping. In 1836, he published the story of his captivity.

In 1822-1825, he was chief of staff of one of the divisions of the army of Francisco Espoz there, who fought the French supporters of absolutism (see Spanish expedition).

Liberal and Freemason, he came to participate and support the liberal revolution of 1830 in Belgium, taking part in various liberation fights. He has since appeared among the national heroes of this country.

However, as early as 1831, he left Belgium to go on fire in Catalonia against the Carlist troops.

By bringing his experience and his military know-how to the revolutionary troops of Belgium made them able to win the victory, but, in a real feuil follet, he quickly disappeared from the Belgian theater without leaving any trace.

He wrote and published with Le Bailly, Paris Libraire 24 rue Dauphine in 1834 History on the Inquisition of Spain .Contecting the account of his captivity in the dungeons of the Inquisition of Spain in 1817 and 1818, of his escape, etc … accompanied by supporting documents and decorated with the portrait of the author, facing similarities of the inquisitors and several engravings representing the tortures of the Inquisition.

• Louis Alvin, ” To fetch ( Don Juan by) ” , In National biography , t. VIII , Brussels, Bruylant-Christophe & C ^ie , 1884-1885 ( read online ) , col. 617-628 .
• Pío Baroja, Juan Van Halen, the adventurous officer , Spasa-Cal, collecting “The 19th century Spanish and Hispanic Videes of the 19th century, Madrid, 1933 (2of Edition).
• Juan van Halen Acedo, Los Van Halen, a flamenco family in Spain , Royal Matritense Academy of Heraldry and Genealogy. Admission speech, Madrid, 1991.
• Great Catalan Encyclopedia , tome 8, p. 355.
• Anne-Marie Storer ^{[ 3 ]} , General Van Halen and the Belgian Revolution of 1830 , Brussels: Racine, 2005.

• Charles Rogier et Juan van Halen, Memoirs of Don Juan Van Halen, chief of staff of one of the divisions of the army of Mina, in 1822 and 1823 , written in the eyes of the author by Charles Rogier ^{[ 4 ]} , Liège, s.d.
• The four days of Brussels ^{[ 5 ]} , Brussels, 1831.
• History on the Inquisition of Spain: accompanied by supporting documents: decorated with a portrait, facsimile and several engravings , Paris : Le Bailly, 1834, 335 pp.