2025/02/20 by Harry Sanger Richards · 1 voice
Arts and Humanities · Social Sciences · #Historical Studies on Reproduction, Gender, Health, and Societal Changes #World Wars: History, Literature, and Impact
paper · pdf · doi:10.1080/07292473.2025.2463758
openalex publication_date 2025/02/20 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/06/14
‘Spy fever’ in Britain is often associated with suspicion and alarm arising from the potential threat of espionage around the time of the First World War. Yet the term first appeared in Britain during the Franco–Prussian War, as France’s experience of invasion was recounted in the press. By examining its broader etymology, this article highlights a neglected aspect of ‘spy fever’. The widespread use of medical terminology to describe popular reactions was intended, not as an accurate description of those behaviours and emotions, but as a way of ridiculing fears of secret enemies by likening them to psychological disorder.