Complex sentence: In 1848, during the Second Republic, radicals and socialists had also adopted the red flag to distinguish themselves from moderate Republicans; this was similar to the symbolic distinctions adopted by the moderate, liberal, Girondist movement during the 1789 revolution.
Split into simpler sentences: In 1848, during the Second Republic, radicals and socialists had also adopted the red flag to distinguish themselves from moderate Republicans. This was similar to the symbolic distinctions adopted by the moderate, liberal, Girondist movement during the 1789 revolution.