Russia was far from the only state to mismanage military funds. Distance from central authority could be measured in communication time as well as miles, and personal recruitment introduced further opportunities for abuse. British governments came to distrust privately raised regiments, although the concern was not that large numbers existed only on paper. The person who raised a regiment traditionally commanded it in battle, giving him a direct incentive to recruit enough soldiers to survive and perform his task. Recruiting and second battalions nevertheless remained a recurring administrative problem.
Notable Point · 24:28-26:05
British regimental recruitment tied command to responsibility
Giving a regiment's recruiter its battlefield command encouraged him to supply real soldiers, although recruiting battalions still developed administrative problems.