Why did Thomas Hobbes believe peace was difficult without a strong government?

Thomas Hobbes argued that peace is difficult to maintain without a strong government because of his pessimistic view of human nature and the inherent instability of the state of nature.12

In the state of nature—a hypothetical condition without political authority—Hobbes believed that humans are driven by self-interest, competition, and a desire for glory. Because there is no common power to enforce laws or arbitrate disputes, individuals exist in a constant state of "war of all against all". In this environment, promises and contracts are unreliable because rational, self-interested individuals will only keep them if it serves their own advantage.132

Consequently, Hobbes concluded that peace can only be secured through a social contract, where individuals collectively transfer their power to a sovereign, or Leviathan. This sovereign must possess absolute power to punish those who breach the contract, thereby creating the order and security necessary for civilization, commerce, and industry to exist. Without this central authority, society inevitably collapses back into a state of violent, competitive anarchy.1324