Bismarck had always disliked liberalism - In his famous ”blood and iron” speech he said ”Germany does not look to Prussia for her liberalism but for her strength.”
After the election 1871 the two liberal parties received the majority of votes to the Reichstag. The liberals had several important issues. They emphasized the importance of legislature, they wanted control by the legislature of all funds supplied to the executive and they felt uneasy about Bismarck’s heavy-handed measures when he dealt with the socialist threat. The Progressives also wanted to maintain laissez-faire. Bismarck wanted to conclude the unification of Germany and therefore he decided to co-operate with the liberals. This co-operation resulted in:

Even though Bismarck now cooperated with the liberals Germany and Prussia made no real advances to liberalism. A few laws were passed but in general the liberals were not able to limit the influence of the Junkers in the Prussian Landtag (and the Reichstag). Bismarck’s ”liberal era” has been described as a ”delicate balance of socio-economic progressiveness and political conservatism". Geoff Eley wrote that the period produced ”an impressive concentration of forward-looking economic legislation (and) an elaborative framework of capitalist enabling laws.”
The cooperation with Bismarck would though effect the liberal parties. The previous radicalism disappeared - A Conservative liberalism appeared - right-wing liberalism. Lee concludes:
”Bismarck used, or abused, the German liberals more completely than any other part of the political spectrum”
"The damage inflicted on Germany by the splintering of a large and stable liberal party was incalculable.”
This would effect the future of Germany...