Stéphane Courtois
Encyclopedia
Stéphane Courtois is a French
historian
, an internationally known expert on communist studies, particularly the history of communism
and communist genocides, and author of several books. The Black Book of Communism
, a book edited by Courtois, has been translated into numerous languages, sold million of copies and is considered a standard work on communist genocides.
Courtois is a research director at the French National Centre for Scientific Research, in the Géode (group of study and observation of democracy) at Paris West University Nanterre La Défense, as well as a Professor at the Catholic Institute of Higher Studies – ICES. He is editor of the journal Communisme
, which he co-founded with Annie Kriegel
in 1982, and part of the Cercle de l'Oratoire
think tank.
As a student, from 1968 to 1971, Courtois was a maoist, although he later became an outspoken anti-communist and a strong supporter of democracy
, pluralism, human rights
and Rechtsstaat
.
Courtois argues that Communism
and National Socialism are slightly different totalitarian systems, and that communism is responsible for the murder of around 100 million people in the 20th century. He also argues that the National Socialists adopted their repressive methods from Soviet methods. According to Courtois, "a single-minded focus on the Jewish genocide in an attempt to characterize the Holocaust as a unique atrocity has [...] prevented the assessment of other episodes of comparable magnitude in the Communist world".
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
historian
Historian
A historian is a person who studies and writes about the past and is regarded as an authority on it. Historians are concerned with the continuous, methodical narrative and research of past events as relating to the human race; as well as the study of all history in time. If the individual is...
, an internationally known expert on communist studies, particularly the history of communism
History of communism
The history of the political ideology of communism hypothetically stretches all the way from the Palaeolithic up until the present day. However, most modern forms of communism are based upon Marxism, a variant of the ideology formed by the sociologist Karl Marx in the 1840s...
and communist genocides, and author of several books. The Black Book of Communism
The Black Book of Communism
The Black Book of Communism: Crimes, Terror, Repression is a book authored by several European academics and edited by Stéphane Courtois, which describes a history of repressions, both political and civilian, by Communist states, including genocides, extrajudicial executions, deportations, and...
, a book edited by Courtois, has been translated into numerous languages, sold million of copies and is considered a standard work on communist genocides.
Courtois is a research director at the French National Centre for Scientific Research, in the Géode (group of study and observation of democracy) at Paris West University Nanterre La Défense, as well as a Professor at the Catholic Institute of Higher Studies – ICES. He is editor of the journal Communisme
Communisme
Communisme is a French multidisciplinary academic journal in the field of communist studies, focusing in particular on the history of communism, founded in 1982 by Annie Kriegel and Stéphane Courtois...
, which he co-founded with Annie Kriegel
Annie Kriegel
Annie Kriegel, née Annie Becker was a French historian, a leading expert on Communist studies and the history of communism, a co-founder of the academic journal Communisme , and a columnist for Le Figaro.As a student, Kriegel was a member of the French Communist Party, but changed her...
in 1982, and part of the Cercle de l'Oratoire
Cercle de l'Oratoire
The Cercle de l'Oratoire is a French think tank created a short time after the September 11, 2001 attacks. Since 2006, it edits a journal, Le Meilleur des mondes...
think tank.
As a student, from 1968 to 1971, Courtois was a maoist, although he later became an outspoken anti-communist and a strong supporter of democracy
Democracy
Democracy is generally defined as a form of government in which all adult citizens have an equal say in the decisions that affect their lives. Ideally, this includes equal participation in the proposal, development and passage of legislation into law...
, pluralism, human rights
Human rights
Human rights are "commonly understood as inalienable fundamental rights to which a person is inherently entitled simply because she or he is a human being." Human rights are thus conceived as universal and egalitarian . These rights may exist as natural rights or as legal rights, in both national...
and Rechtsstaat
Rechtsstaat
Rechtsstaat is a concept in continental European legal thinking, originally borrowed from German jurisprudence, which can be translated as "legal state", "state of law", "state of justice", or "state of rights"...
.
Courtois argues that Communism
Communism
Communism is a social, political and economic ideology that aims at the establishment of a classless, moneyless, revolutionary and stateless socialist society structured upon common ownership of the means of production...
and National Socialism are slightly different totalitarian systems, and that communism is responsible for the murder of around 100 million people in the 20th century. He also argues that the National Socialists adopted their repressive methods from Soviet methods. According to Courtois, "a single-minded focus on the Jewish genocide in an attempt to characterize the Holocaust as a unique atrocity has [...] prevented the assessment of other episodes of comparable magnitude in the Communist world".
Publications
- Le PCF dans la guerre, De Gaulle, la Résistance, Staline..., Ramsay, 1980
- with Marc LazarMarc LazarMarc Lazar is Professor and director of the Doctoral School at the Paris Institute of Political Studies . He is presently managing a research group on contemporary Italy with CERI . He is also President of the Advisory Group of the-External links :**...
, Le Communisme, MA éditions, Paris, 1987, 276 p. ISBN|978-2866762445 - with Adam Rayski (ed.), Qui savait quoi ? L'extermination des juifs, 1941-1945, La Découverte, Paris, 1987, 235 p. ISBN|978-2707117052
- with Adam Rayski and Denis Peschanski Le sang de l'étranger - les immigrés de la MOI dans la Résistance, Fayard, 1989. Traduction allemande L'Affiche rouge, Immigranten und Juden in der französischen Résistance, Verlag Schwarze Risse, Berlin, 1994
- with Shmuel TriganoShmuel TriganoShmuel Trigano is a sociologist, philosopher, professor of religious and political sociology at Paris X University Nanterre and acts as President of l’Observatoire du monde juif....
and Marc Lazar, Rigueur et passion. Hommage à Annie Kriegel, Éditions Cerf, Paris, 1992. ISBN|978-2204049474 - with Marc Lazar, Histoire du Parti communiste français, PUF, Paris, 1995, 480 p. ISBN|978-2130470489|978-2130510635
- (ed.), Le Livre noir du communisme. Crimes, terreur, répression, Robert Laffont, Paris, 1997, 923 p. ISBN|978-2221082041|978-2266086110|978-2221088616
- Published in English as The Black Book of Communism: Crimes, Terror, RepressionThe Black Book of CommunismThe Black Book of Communism: Crimes, Terror, Repression is a book authored by several European academics and edited by Stéphane Courtois, which describes a history of repressions, both political and civilian, by Communist states, including genocides, extrajudicial executions, deportations, and...
, Harvard University PressHarvard University PressHarvard University Press is a publishing house established on January 13, 1913, as a division of Harvard University, and focused on academic publishing. In 2005, it published 220 new titles. It is a member of the Association of American University Presses. Its current director is William P...
, 1999, 858 p., ISBN 0-674-07608-7
- Published in English as The Black Book of Communism: Crimes, Terror, Repression
- with Annie KriegelAnnie KriegelAnnie Kriegel, née Annie Becker was a French historian, a leading expert on Communist studies and the history of communism, a co-founder of the academic journal Communisme , and a columnist for Le Figaro.As a student, Kriegel was a member of the French Communist Party, but changed her...
, Eugen Fried, le grand secret du PCF, Seuil, Paris, 1997 ISBN|978-2020220507 - with Ernst NolteErnst NolteErnst Nolte is a German historian and philosopher. Nolte’s major interest is the comparative studies of Fascism and Communism. He is Professor Emeritus of Modern History at the Free University of Berlin, where he taught from 1973 to 1991. He was previously a Professor at the University of Marburg...
and Jean-Marie Argelès, Guerre civile européenne 1917-1945, Éditions de Syrtes, 2000 ISBN|978-2845450134 - (ed.), Quand tombe la nuit. Origines et émergence des régimes totalitaires en Europe, 1900-1934, L'Âge d'Homme, 2001, 415 p. ISBN|978-2825116104
- (ed.), Regards sur la crise du syndicalisme, L'Harmattan, 2001 ISBN|978-2747514620
- (ed.), Du Passé faisons table rase ! Histoire et mémoire du communisme en Europe, Robert Laffont, 2002 ISBN|978-2221095003
- Mémoires d'André Bergeron, Éditions du Rocher, 2002 ISBN|978-2268043609
- (ed.), Une si longue nuit. L'apogée des régimes totalitaires en Europe, 1935-1953, Éditions du Rocher, 2003, 532 p. ISBN|978-2268045825
- (ed.), Les Logiques totalitaires en Europe, Éditions du Rocher, 2006, 615 p. ISBN|978-2268059785
- (ed.), Le Jour se lève. L'héritage du totalitarisme en Europe, 1953-2005, Éditions du Rocher, 2006, 494 p. ISBN|978-2268057019
- with Ismail KadareIsmail KadareIsmail Kadare is an Albanian writer. He is known for his novels, although he was first noticed for his poetry collections. In the 1960s he focused on short stories until the publication of his first novel, The General of the Dead Army. In 1996 he became a lifetime member of the Academy of Moral...
and Shaban Sinani, Le Dossier Kadaré, Odile Jacob, 2006 ISBN|978-2738117403 - Communisme en France - De la révolution documentaire au renouveau historiographique, Éditions Cujas, Paris, 2006 ISBN|978-2254076048
- Memento Goulag - Mémoire et jugement du communisme, Éditions Cujas, Paris, 2007 ISBN|978-2254076055
- (ed.), Dictionnaire du communisme, Éditions LarousseÉditions LarousseÉditions Larousse is a French publishing house specialising in reference works such as dictionaries. It was founded by Pierre Larousse and its best-known work is the Petit Larousse.It was acquired by Vivendi Universal in 1998...
, Paris, 2007 ISBN|978-2035837820