McClellan misread the Civil War as a limited bargaining contest

McClellan's outlook resembled that of a commander from the Greek city-states who expects a battle to determine leverage at a negotiation. That model underestimated the political stakes of a civil war and the scale of victory required. Confederate generals presented a different problem because their rivalries often made each other seem like their real enemies. A mistaken theory of war termination and destructive command politics could undermine either side even when its troops fought bravely.