Complex sentence: In 1848, the Polytechnique students were the leaders the French Revolution of 1848, and was a highly important part of the post-revolutionary process, with one student (Charles de Freycinet) even becoming part of the post-revolution government.
Split into simpler sentences: In 1848, Polytechnique students were the leaders of the French Revolution of 1848. They were an important part of the post-revolutionary process, with one student (Charles de Freycinet) becoming part of the post-revolution government.