Why did Hegel think war could not be eliminated between nation-states?

In his political philosophy, G.W.F. Hegel maintained that it is impossible to eliminate war between nation-states because each state exists as an individual entity.1

Hegel rejected the idealism of his predecessor Immanuel Kant, who had proposed a league of nations to achieve "perpetual peace". Instead, Hegel argued that the relationship between sovereign states is analogous to the state of nature among individuals, as described by Thomas Hobbes. In this international sphere, there is no higher authority to enforce agreements; consequently, Hegel noted that "pacts without the sword are but words," meaning that states must ultimately rely on their own power to defend their rights and interests.123

Hegel’s perspective was deeply rooted in his reverence for historical fact, which led him to view the state as the culmination of moral action and the realization of reason in the world, rather than a construct that could be easily subsumed into a global governing body.12