Final answer:
Most Spanish soldiers in the Spanish Armada were ill-equipped for naval warfare, lacking the necessary training and experience. They faced a better-trained British Royal Navy along with treacherous weather and English raids on Spanish ports, all of which contributed to the Armada's defeat and the decline of Spanish naval power.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question pertains to the capabilities of the Spanish soldiers during the time of the Spanish Armada in 1588. Most Spanish soldiers were not trained or experienced in the type of naval warfare that defined the conflict with England. The Spanish Armada faced a series of challenges: bad weather in the English Channel, a decisive defeat by the more maneuverable British Royal Navy, and devastating storms during their retreat. These adversities, combined with the lack of combat training at sea, and the fact that Spanish Armada was composed chiefly of large, less maneuverable ships, meant that most of the Spanish soldiers were ill-equipped to handle the naval tactics used by the English. Furthermore, the English fleet's attacks on Spanish ports, such as the raid on Cadiz, and the subsequent loss of the annual silver shipment, contributed to Spain's diminished naval strength.
Additionally, combat during the era often favored those with naval experience and expertise, an area where the English had the upper hand. Many of the Spanish soldiers were more suited for traditional land-based warfare, not the seafaring combat demanded by engagements in the Channel. The English fleet's command under Lord Charles Howard and Sir Francis Drake effectively utilized the weather conditions and their superior seamanship to outmaneuver the Spanish Armada. The outcome of these encounters marked the decline of Spain as a dominant European power and signaled the rise of English naval supremacy and its colonization endeavors in the Americas.