Reply To: Poland 1939 – Preparing for 80th Anniversary of World War II

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Well the Germans brought the reporters to the aftermath at Krojanty and saw dead horses and men and some Panzers that had arrived after the battle.

Montanelli then put two and two together to get five and wrote an article on the heroic Polish cavalry charging tanks. The Germans just made use of it afterwards. It was nearly two weeks after when the Germans first mentioned it in order to suggested the Poles had underestimated German potential and poor Intel. After the war the Soviets used it to show the stupidity of Polish leadership.

I dont think the Germans had planned for the myth from the start, as the two German reporters with Montanelli didnt mention it, they just made use of it once he had published his article, for their own propaganda.