  We study the massive Schwinger model, quantum electrodynamics of massive,
Dirac fermions, in 1+1 dimensions; with space compactified to a circle. In the
limit that transitions to fermion--anti-fermion pairs can be neglected, we
study the full ground state. We focus on the effect of instantons which mediate
tunnelling transitions in the induced potential for the dynamical degree of
freedom in the gauge field.
