Stéphane Courtois: Life and Legacy Early Life and Education Born in Dreux, France in 1947, Stéphane Courtois is a distinguished French historian and intellectual. He pursued higher education leading to his role as Research Director at the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS). His academic focus quickly centered on the complex history of communism, becoming a defining theme throughout his career. Career and Scholarly Co…