It would help to define the terms of what we’re talking about here, for starters. When you say “weak” are we talking about economics, military strength, military experience, infrastructure, manufacturing capacity, population, or what? You mentioned that the Confederacy (or whatever you want to call it before it became official) was at a disadvantage at the start of the war, so maybe we should start there.

So, was the Confederacy at a disadvantage at the beginning of the war in the spring of 1861? In a word: yes. The Union (or “north”) had numerous advantages including (but not limited to) established transportation networks, manufacturing capabilities, an operational civic infrastructure, commercial revenue streams, and raw materials needed to prosecute the war. Although the south grew a lot of important export staples like cotton and tobacco, they previously relied on the north to refine, process and/or ship this to market. With the naval blockade, the Union attempted and largely succeeded in strangling the Confederacy’s means to make the money needed to fight the war via these staples. Industry was also disproportionately in the northern part of the country, so the Confederacy had to start almost from scratch when it came to the basic materials needed to fight the war. A vast majority of things from rifles and cannon to carriage wheels and uniforms were produced north of the Mason Dixon. With the exception of the Tredegar Iron Works in Richmond, the south had few large-scale manufacturing centers for crucial war materiel and this hampered their war effort, without a doubt.

Transportation networks were also lacking in the south, as there were fewer railroad lines, shipping canals, and even well-maintained roads to move men and materiel to areas where they were needed. On a civic level, the Confederacy also had to start from scratch, and didn’t enjoy the mostly seamless transition into a wartime economy and government that the Union did.

There were advantages the Confederacy enjoyed, however (albeit very few). The Confederate cavalry was miles ahead of the Union for the first 2 years of the war, and it was an advantage they fully exploited. One could also argue that the Confederacy had the advantage in military command at the beginning of the war (though this is a hotly debated topic). In all, however, the Confederates faced an uphill battle from the start.

[Sources: Bruce Catton, ‘Mr. Lincoln’s Army’; James McPherson, ‘Battle Cry of Freedom’; Doris Kearns Goodwin, ‘Team of Rivals’]