Why did Otto von Bismarck support universal manhood suffrage in the North German Confederation?

Otto von Bismarck supported universal manhood suffrage for the North German Confederation primarily due to his belief that the rural population would reliably vote for conservative parties.1

At the time the constitution was drafted in 1867, Germany was predominantly rural, and Bismarck anticipated that this demographic would favor the Conservative or Free Conservative parties, thereby helping to maintain the empire's conservative political character. He expected that the Progressives—a left-wing liberal party—would perform poorly in these rural areas, which comprised about two-thirds of the country.1

By implementing universal manhood suffrage, Bismarck sought to secure a conservative base while simultaneously creating a national parliament that would satisfy middle-class demands for economic and legal unity without granting the Reichstag significant control over the government or military. Ultimately, this strategy was intended to consolidate Prussian power and preserve the authority of the monarch and chancellor, even as he navigated the complexities of mass politics.21