Editing 1612 (section)

=== January&ndash;March ===
* [[January 6]] &ndash; [[Axel Oxenstierna]] becomes [[Lord High Chancellor of Sweden]]. He persuades the [[Riksdag of the Estates]] to grant the [[Swedish nobility]] the right and privilege to hold all higher offices of government.
* [[January 10]] – [[Gustavus Adolphus]] replies to Metropolitan Isidor, Odoevskij and the estates of [[Veliky Novgorod|Novgorod]], stating that he himself wishes to assume responsibility for the government of Novgorod and also of all Russians. A number of land grants signed the same day show that the Swedish king has assumed the title of [[Tsar]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=Löfstrand |first=Elisabeth |url=https://www.diva-portal.org/smash/get/diva2:353792/FULLTEXT01.pdf |title=Accounts of an occupied city : catalogue of the Novgorod Occupation Archives 1611-1617 |last2=Nordquist |first2=Laila |publisher=[[National Archives of Sweden]] |year=2005 |isbn=9188366677 |edition=1st |location=Stockholm |pages=41 |language=English}}</ref>
* [[January 20]]
**[[Rudolf II, Holy Roman Emperor|Rudolf II]], [[Holy Roman Emperor]], dies and several candidates vie to succeed him, with [[Matthias, Holy Roman Emperor|Archduke Matthias]] eventually being elected. <ref name="Cassell's Chronology">{{cite book|last=Williams|first=Hywel|title=Cassell's Chronology of World History|url=https://archive.org/details/cassellschronolo0000will/page/244|url-access=registration|location=London|publisher=Weidenfeld & Nicolson|year=2005|isbn=0-304-35730-8|pages=[https://archive.org/details/cassellschronolo0000will/page/244 244]}}</ref>
**[[Dmitry Pozharsky#Battle for Moscow|An uprising led by Dmitry Pozharsky]] begins in Moscow against occupying [[Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth|Polish]] troops.  
* [[February 11]] &ndash; [[Battle of Vittsjö]]: King [[Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden]] and 3,000 of his troops are forced to retreat from [[Denmark]]. The 17-year old king almost drowns while attempting to ride his horse across a frozen lake, but is rescued by two other members of his cavalry. The horse is lost.   
* [[March 2]] &ndash; The [[False Dmitry III]], one of three pretenders to the Russian throne who all claim to be sons of [[Ivan the Terrible]], is recognized as Tsar of Russia by the [[Cossacks]].  
* [[March 12]] &ndash; At Daulambapur, near [[Kamalganj Upazila|Kamalganj]] in what is now the [[Sylhet Division]] in [[Bangladesh]], a battle takes place between 4,500 troops led by General [[Islam Khan I]] of India's [[Mughal Empire]], and 12,000 defenders led by the Afghan warlord [[Khwaja Usman]]. The Mughals are almost defeated until Usman is struck in the eye by an arrow fired from a crossbow.