The primary purpose of the Berlin Conference of 1884-1885 was to regulate European colonization and trade in Africa during the New Imperialism period. Convened by Chancellor Otto von Bismarck of Germany, the conference sought to prevent conflict among European powers over African territory by establishing guidelines for claiming land. It resulted in the partitioning of Africa among European nations without consideration for the continent's ethnic or cultural divisions. The conference significantly impacted African societies and led to intensified colonial exploitation, setting the stage for resistance and conflict in the future.