The young Hegel witnessed Napoleon riding through his university town after the Battle of Jena in 1806 and saw in that act the incipient universalization of recognition in the form of the principles of the French Revolution. This is the sense in which Hegel believed that history had come to an end: it culminated in the idea of universal recognition;
Napoleon had a huge impact -also positive- to Europe. He e.g. liberated the Jews and much more.
PS. I myself am not an universalist. Also I do not recognize dignity for all human people but only to those who are participating in building a common good. But that is another issue.
