每当提起宋朝为何军事疲软，大家都会想到这四个字“重文轻武”。不过历史上并不是只有宋朝重文轻武，明朝同样也很注重文化发展，但就军事实力来说，明朝比宋朝显得更加强大。实际上，这些差异不仅仅是因为两代人的不同，更在于他们面对困难时采取的策略和方法。

首先，我们需要了解的是两代皇帝给人的印象。宋朝的皇帝往往给人一种文弱无力的感觉，比如宋真宗，他在澶渊之盟前选择了退让，而非亲征；而明代的皇帝则显得更加坚决和勇敢，如明英宗朱祁镇即便被俘，也没有表现出像靖康二帝那样窝囊废态。

其次，是关于军制的问题。Song dynasty military system was too focused on decentralization, which hindered the effectiveness of its armies. The Song government established a strict hierarchy and bureaucracy to control the military, but this led to inefficiency in decision-making and execution. For instance, during battles, generals had limited autonomy and were often required to seek approval from the emperor or high-ranking officials before making important decisions.

Furthermore, there is also an issue with the role of civil officials in the military. In the Song Dynasty, civil officials held significant power over military affairs due to their influence on court politics. This resulted in many incompetent or unprepared individuals being appointed as high-ranking officers or even commanders-in-chief.

In contrast, Ming Dynasty implemented a more centralized command structure that gave greater authority to professional generals who had proven themselves in battle. This allowed for faster decision-making and more effective deployment of troops.

Finally, it is worth noting that while both dynasties faced challenges such as corruption within their governments and external threats from neighboring countries like Jurchen-led Jin Dynasty (for Song) and Mongol-led Yuan Dynasty (for Ming), how they responded differed significantly.

The differences between these two dynasties' approaches highlight how cultural values can shape societal attitudes towards war effort and national security strategies throughout history.