 At the end of May 1573, Henry learned that the Polish "szlachta" had elected him King of Poland (a country with a large Protestant minority at the time) and political considerations forced him to negotiate an end to the assault.Negotiators reached an agreement on 24 June 1573, and Catholic troops ended the siege on 6 July 1573.Following the death of the Polish ruler Sigismund II Augustus on 7 July 1572, Jean de Monluc was sent as the French envoy to Poland to negotiate the election of Henry to the Polish throne in exchange for military support against Russia, diplomatic assistance in dealing with the Ottoman Empire, and financial subsidies.