original passage: Before it could fully recover, Lithuania was ravaged during the Great Northern War (1700–1721). The war, a plague, and a famine caused the deaths of approximately 40% of the country's population. Foreign powers, especially Russia, became dominant in the domestic politics of the Commonwealth. Numerous fractions among the nobility used the Golden Liberties to prevent any reforms.
original sentence: Numerous fractions among the nobility used the Golden Liberties to prevent any reforms.
sentence2: If a nobleman wanted to hold onto power, the same way that his father's generation had, would he be likely to make use of the Golden Liberties at this time in history?
sentence1: Before it could fully recover, Lithuania was ravaged during the Great Northern War (1700–1721). The war, a plague, and a famine caused the deaths of approximately 40% of the country's population. Foreign powers, especially Russia, became dominant in the domestic politics of the Commonwealth. Numerous fractions among the nobility used the Golden Liberties to prevent any return to the autocracy of the recent past