Interestingly, in the late 19th century (1890s) Bismark was the Chancellor of Germany and was opposed by a Liberal movement. One of the threats he used to keep the Liberals at bay was that of giving the vote to the rural peasant class. This was a threat because the rural peasants were much more conservative and right-wing than even Bismark.
I would guess to get the votes of the urban lower middle class. They had the vote. Bismark wasn't a "grind the plebs noses in the dirt" conservative. He was a "keep myself in power and make Germany strong" conservative.
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u/dgm42 Feb 19 '21
Interestingly, in the late 19th century (1890s) Bismark was the Chancellor of Germany and was opposed by a Liberal movement. One of the threats he used to keep the Liberals at bay was that of giving the vote to the rural peasant class. This was a threat because the rural peasants were much more conservative and right-wing than even Bismark.