“Great fear” in the United Kingdom, 1802–1805

The years 1802-1805 in Britain were characterised at the time as “the Great Fear”, because of the invasion threat posed by the French troops and military machinery massed opposite the south coast of England (only 27 miles and a single tide away). This article reviews the attempts by the British, both governmentally and also at grassroots level, to face up to, and possibly counter, the menace. At a government level, attempts were made to enrol common men in ad-hoc military formations alongside the regular army. At a more unofficial level, attempts were made to bolster morale via patriotic broadsheets and also satirical songs; though evacuation plans for south coast villages were also published. Finally, this article considers the scheme of the Martello Towers and in the end their final uselessness.