St.Vincent, as First Lord, gave unhesitating approval to what his former lieutenant had advised.
Nelson's understanding of the situation was, in truth, acute, profound, and decisive.

In the northern combination against Great Britain, Paul was the trunk, Denmark and Sweden the branches.

Could he get at the trunk and hew it down, the branches fell with it; but should time and strength first be spent lopping off the branches, the trunk would remain, and "my power must be weaker when its greatest strength is required." As things then were, the Russian Navy was divided, part being in Cronstadt, and a large fraction, twelve ships-of-the-line, in Revel, an advanced and exposed port, where it was detained fettered by the winter's ice.

Get at that and smite it, and the Russian Navy is disabled; all falls together.

This would be his own course, if independent.