How did Hegel’s idea of the cunning of Reason explain the actions of great historical figures?

In G.W.F. Hegel’s philosophy of history, the "cunning of reason" describes how the aims of the World Spirit are realized through the actions of individuals, often without their conscious intent.1

Hegel posited that historical progress is driven by the development of Spirit, which uses historical figures as instruments to achieve its larger, rational goals. While these individuals are motivated by their own personal passions, ambitions, or interests, their actions inadvertently serve the broader, objective requirements of history.1

Essentially, these figures act as "cunning" agents of Reason; they believe they are pursuing their own private ends, but they are actually fulfilling a deeper, universal plan that is visible only in retrospect. Hegel famously characterized history as a "slaughter-bench" where the happiness and virtue of individuals are sacrificed to this unfolding process. This perspective suggests that the misery and injustice experienced by individuals are often the necessary, albeit tragic, costs of the rational development of freedom in the world.1