While that's helpful and insightful, it's not hugely the issue.

The military units are not very well organized, they don't have clear and stringent command, control and communications.

They understood a regional commander to be fleeing, units fell back.

This is kind of stuff is absolutely as old as time, and it's #1 rule in conflict aka deception.

The parallel would be reproducing a General's order to withdraw - meaning the command would have legitimacy among troops and junior officers, believing their own commanders were just out of the loop.

And yes - their command structure will be de facto organized along social lines, but it's more descriptive.