Complex sentence: Under the authority of the Articles of Confederation, the national government did not have direct control over the military, except in times of war, and was largely reliant on the use of state militias to enforce laws and keep order.
Split into simpler sentences: Under the authority of the Articles of Confederation, Congress did not have control over its own security. The national government did not have direct control over the military, except in times of war, and was largely reliant on the use of state militias to keep order.