For whatever reason, I absolutely cannot get my generals above about two command stars.

If I autoresolve a battle that's 1:1 or worse odds and win (a ridiculously rare occurrence even on VH:M -- 1:1 apparently means 1[quadiplegic]:1[gaesatae]) nothing happens, though he might lose the "unsure troops" trait or something similar. If I play out a battle and win, even against huge odds, the generals learn nothing whatsoever.

So what am I missing here?