Question: Facts: - caption: president alley - order: president of dahomey - successor: Emile derlin zinsou - death date: 28 march 1987 - predecessor: maurice kouandete - term end: july 17 , 1968 - term start: december 19 , 1967 - birth date: 09 april 1930 - name: alphonse amadou alley - image: alphonse alley.gif - birth place: bassila , dahomey - occupation: military officer Based on these bullet points, write a short biography describing the life of alphonse alley .
Answer:
alphonse amadou alley -lrb- april 9 , 1930 -- march 28 , 1987 -rrb- was a beninese army officer and political figure .he was most active when his country was known as dahomey .he was born in bassila , central dahomey , and enrolled in schools in togo , cote d'ivoire , and senegal before enlisting in the french army in 1950 .he saw combat in indochina from 1950 to 1953 , in morocco from 1955 to 1956 , and in algeria from 1959 to 1961 .after the coup in 1965 , president christophe soglo promoted alley chief of staff of the army .young army officer maurice kouandete was appointed alley 's '' chef de cabinet '' in 1967 .kouandete launched another coup against soglo on december 17 , but he was forced to hand power to alley two days later .his administration oversaw the creation of a new constitution and a presidential election , dahomey 's first since 1964 .the results were annulled because of a boycott that prevented almost three-quarters of the country from voting .alley lost popularity with the suggestion that the military should retreat back to the barracks , and was eventually reduced to a mouthpiece for kouandete .on july 17 , 1968 , alley was forced to hand power to emile zinsou , a veteran politician .alley 's retirement was marked by a series of discharges from the military , trials , and prison sentences .at one trial , zinsou 's conduct sparked another coup led by kouandete .on october 26 , 1972 , mathieu kerekou seized power in a coup .he ended alley 's military career , as well as that of every other senior officer , and named alley commissioner of the national oil wells -lrb- snadah -rrb- , a role with very little responsibility .kerekou accused alley of plotting against him on february 28 , 1973 , and sentenced the latter to 20 years in prison .he died on march 28 , 1987 .