Complex sentence: Domingo Faustino Sarmiento served as President of the Republic of Argentina from 1868--1874, becoming president despite the maneuverings of his predecessor Bartolomé Mitre.
Split into simpler sentences: Domingo Faustino Sarmiento was President of the Republic of Argentina from 1868--1874. He became president despite the maneuverings of his predecessor Bartolomé Mitre.