Editing 1598 (section)

=== January–March ===
* [[January 8]] – In [[Berlin]], [[Joachim Frederick, Elector of Brandenburg|Joachim Frederich]] of the [[House of Hohenzollern]] becomes the new [[List of rulers of Brandenburg|Elector of Brandenburg]] upon the death of his father, [[John George, Elector of Brandenburg|Johann Georg von Brandenburg]].
* [[January 17]] – The [[List of Russian monarchs|Tsar of the Russian Empire]], [[Feodor I of Russia|Feodor I]], dies of a sudden illness at the age of 40, leaving no children and bringing an end to the [[Rurikids|Rurik dynasty]]. His widow, [[Irina Godunova]], takes action to secure the throne but her rule lasts for only nine days.
* [[January 26]] – After receiving no support from the Russian nobles, the Tsaritsa Irina Godunova abandons her brief rule as autocrat of Russia, and abdicates in favor of her older brother, [[Boris Godunov]]. 
* [[January 29]] – In what is now South Korea, a force of 50,000 troops of the Korean kingdom of [[Joseon]] and Chinese Ming dynasty troops begins the [[siege of Ulsan]], a Japanese-controlled castle located in the southwest port of Ulsan on the [[Sea of Japan]].
* [[January 30]] – In Italy [[Cesare d'Este, Duke of Modena|Cesare d'Este]] moves the capital of the [[Duchy of Modena and Reggio]] to the city of [[Modena]], after the [[Duchy of Ferrara]] is declared by [[Pope Clement VIII]] to be at an end. 
* [[February 21]] – [[Boris Godunov]] is elected as the Tsar of Russia by unanimous vote of the parliament of nobles, the [[Zemsky Sobor]]. 
* [[March 19]] – Count [[Adolf von Schwarzenberg]] of Austria captures the Turkish fortress at [[Győr]], four years after Turkish forces had taken it over.<ref>Peter F. Sugar,et al., ''A History of Hungary'', ed. by Peter F. Sugar (Indiana University Press, 1990) p. 97</ref>  
* [[March 20]] – The [[Duchy of Brittany]] in France is conquered by [[Henry IV of France|King Henry IV]], who forces the surrender of Philippe Louis de Lorraine-Mercœur, Duke of Brittany. Merceur is then exiled to Hungary. 
* [[March 23]] – The abdication of [[Sigismund Báthory]] as [[Prince of Transylvania]] (now part of Romania) is accepted by the Transylvanian nobles. Sigismund's cousin, [[Andrew Báthory]], is then elected as the new Prince.