Luke Herbert

The Lens of History on Substack. I cover military history on Substack. Find book reviews, manoeuvre warfare and more.

[Luke Herbert @Lensofhistory84]

My latest book review is @jamesmscott3 Empire of Ashes: Truman, Hirohito, and the descent into Total War https://t.co/HT3igP0OOt

[Alex Luck @AlexLuck9]

Corbyn is the sort of character that argues against wasteful lifeboats on the cruise liner, then pushes women and children aside once the boat hit the iceberg.

[Luke Herbert @Lensofhistory84]

@TheUCS473 @thinkdefence New Zealand ended that fallacy before I emigrated to Australia. After Russia's invasion of Ukraine and other matters, suddenly future money could be found for defence.

[Lori Steinle ᐰ✨🪐👽🛸🔭 @jengenexer]

This, right here! 👇👇👇#SaveStargate

[Luke Herbert @Lensofhistory84]

@Mr_Andrew_Fox New Zealand embraced the rubbish we can't afford defence mantra until Russia's invasion of Ukraine. I am sure the UK government could change its tune if there was any willingness.

[David Wolfson @DXW_KC]

Faced with a choice between a Defence Secretary who wanted to spend more on our armed forces, a Chancellor who wouldn’t, and an Attorney General who enjoys suing them, the Prime Minister decided he could do without … the Defence Secretary.

[Luke Herbert @Lensofhistory84]

@Artemisapphire You look stellar.

[Robert Lyman 🇺🇦 @robert_lyman]

Because there hadn’t been a genocide in Gaza…

[Euan Graham @graham_euan]

An honourable exit. Healey has sounded a strategic alarm. When a defence minister resigns because the prime minister won’t adequately fund the defence of the realm, the PM is on borrowed time. But this should really trigger a more fundamental question around national priorities.

[Luke Herbert @Lensofhistory84]

@matthew_sussex Submarines can track other subs and sink shipping. All of this is on the public record.

[Luke Herbert @Lensofhistory84]

@matthew_sussex Mine clearance Warfare is an Australian Defence Force blind spot. A submarine on China's coastline could launch cruise missiles against the mainland. Concerning warships, see the sinking of the Iris Dena and Belgrano. 1/2

[Jennifer Parker @JAParker29]

The 🇬🇧 lack of investment in defence spending & its impact on capability & preparedness has been flagged by many, including many senior leaders within the UK. It’s a shame it’s gotten to this point, but I have significant respect for the Secretary of State for Defence in standing by his principles here.

Hopefully it shocks the system enough to spark some much needed change.

[Robert Lyman 🇺🇦 @robert_lyman]

Good to see that the principle of falling in one’s sword is alive and well, even in the cesspit of politics

[Deborah Haynes @haynesdeborah]

🚨Defence Secretary John Healey resigns because he believes the Prime Minister and the Chancellor are leaving the country at risk and military personnel in danger because of their refusal to increase defence spending fast enough.

Extraordinary and also courageous

[Lori Steinle ᐰ✨🪐👽🛸🔭 @jengenexer]

Just trying to #SaveStargate ma’am 🫡

[Luke Herbert @Lensofhistory84]

@Artemisapphire Sending you good vibes. I hope your not date is taking good care of you.

[Luke Herbert @Lensofhistory84]

Shoebridge is making a fool of himself. Submarines aren't a platform designed to clear choke points. Nor does Australia's geography match the Straits of Hormuz.

[Jennifer Parker @JAParker29]

Senator Shoebridge’s response is long on personal attacks & short on substance.

The issue is actually quite simple. 🇦🇺 is an island trading nation dependent on maritime supply chains for fuel, fertiliser, ammunition & countless other essentials.

Serious people can disagree on the best way to protect those supply chains. What they cannot do is pretend the problem does not exist.

I’ve spent much of my adult life at sea actually doing the job of protecting our trade. I’ll continue focusing on how 🇦🇺 protects its maritime interests rather than trading personal attacks.

Have a great day, Senator.

[Stephen Wensley @StephenWensley]

@Lensofhistory84 @robert_lyman That was on its last legs by then anyway, its was down to 33% of the British Army officers were of an Aristocratic or Landed Gentry background. Even Wellington’s army 100 years earlier had up to 10% of officers promoted from the ranks https://t.co/UAPHsYjw1D

[Luke Herbert @Lensofhistory84]

@robert_lyman Underachieving or breaking through the class system's barriers? Generals Slim and Montgomery didn't come from the "ruling class" that was wiped out by World War I.

[Luke Herbert @Lensofhistory84]

@graham_euan Why Australia funded U.S. submarine construction to get secondhand vessels is a valid question. However, people melt down over everything on social media.

[Luke Herbert @Lensofhistory84]

Blind hatred of the British Empire overrides historical accuracy with some people. One such fallacy is directly comparing British rule over India with Māori's fate after the Treaty of Waitangi.

[Robert Lyman 🇺🇦 @robert_lyman]

This is ahistorical rubbish I’m afraid. There were many motivations for joining the Indian Army, but a prominent one was a desire to prevent the Japanese from entering India. My final chapter deals with this question. By 1944 most Indians who thought about such things (and there were many who didn’t, as in every society, not bothering themselves with issues of civic & political governance) knew the empire was finished and wanted to fight to secure a different future, free from the depredations of totalitarians of any stripe. https://t.co/u94zN77Sbv