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There are plenty of countries where there is no central force and they don't necessarily become liberal. They become riven with sectarian conflict, ruled by a gang of warlords constantly making battle against each other.
Liberalism emerged in Europe under different circumstances. It was to quiet religious conflicts rather than intra-elite competition per se. With the benefit of hindsight, it was a fantastic strategy that while it did not abolish war, it reduced mass casualty events like the Thirty Years War. Nationalism is bloodthirsty enough. When combined with religious fervor, it supercharges. Liberalism essentially tried to sever the link and over time it expanded into more and more areas. The foundation of liberalism is to stress the right of the individual, because collectivism can often lead to violent events.
To answer your question in a succinct way: societies because liberal before they become successful. Even nations we view as "illiberal" such as Russia or China are remarkably liberal in a historical perspective. It's just that the overton window has shifted so much to the left over the past century that a 1950s liberal would be denounced as a dangerous right-wing authoritarian today.
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