Complex sentence: But the French rejection of the Preliminaries shocked the Allied negotiators, and neither Marlborough nor Eugene wanted the war to continue; yet diplomatic intransigence had scuppered hopes of a compromise resolution.
Split into simpler sentences: But the French rejection of the Preliminaries shocked the Allied negotiators. Neither Marlborough nor Eugene wanted the war to continue; yet diplomatic intransigence had scuppered hopes of a compromise resolution.