Complex sentence: The steward had thought that the harsh sentence would frighten the peasants, but it had the opposite effect: over the next year, the peasants secretly prepared for war by recruiting one man from every farmer's house, supplying them with weapons and teaching them tactics.
Split into simpler sentences: The steward had thought that the harsh sentence would frighten the peasants, but it had the opposite effect. Over the next year, the peasants secretly prepared for war by recruiting one man from every farmer's house, supplying them with weapons, and teaching them tactics.