Why Civil War command systems struggled

The campaign begins with the institutions and personalities that shaped Civil War command. The Union inherited professional structures that were not designed for a mass civil war, while the Confederacy repeatedly struggled to make independently minded officers cooperate within a chain of command. European assumptions about a popular general seizing political power also fit American military culture poorly, because soldiers remained servants of their governments rather than personal followers. Comparisons with George Monck's role in the English Restoration and William and Mary's accession during the Glorious Revolution show that Britain's own transfers of power were exceptional political settlements rather than a routine model for generals marching on governments. Neither side's politics, motives, or command culture was simple or uniform.