>>23454
>it was obvious that war is near
Yes, they made it possible.
The Soviet Union was safe with the neutral countries between her and Germany. If their policy was peaceful and defensive they should have do everything possible - first on diplomatic level and with other tools (like supporting their economies and whatnot), second on military level, actively if needed - to keep those countries safe and independent. But they didn't. Their ideology propelled them to go forward and "liberate the proletariat" there. And they wouldn't stop there since their main targets were the western countries - they told so in their publications since the Great Revolution. No I'm wrong, since Marx and Engels.
The Red Army was the most mobile force on the world at that time but yes, moving troops in that fuckhuge country is pain in the ass. More reason just to keep with Stalin Line to defend the country. It was also for slowing down enemy and give time to bring in reinforcement. The Winter War's should have strengthen their beleif in the Stalin Line's capabilities. The Red Army had to sweat blood to get through the Mannerheim Line and it's security zone, the Soviet one was very similar, for very similar use.
>after initial enemy attack,
There couldn't been that because that doesn't fit in deep operation. For that to work the Red Army needs to attack first. If they had had intentions for defence or counter-attack they would have gone with that but they didn't. The leadership didn't believe the Germans attacked, then they tried to come up with a plan to use. In the meantime parts of the Red Army just collapsed. There were units that went to attack, but not because it meant as a counter-attack but because that was the only thing they prepared for (and the only plan they had).
Also this counter-attack part didn't exist in any heads. As you mentioned WWI was very fresh in the memories they didn't really know how a mobile warfare would play, so concentrating mechanized forces for a counter-attack and develop that into a breakthrough (and then develop that into deep battle) is a very alien thought. Even the Panzerkeil was years of fighting with relatively mobile forces away which I could compare this the best.
>overconfident
Yes I can very much see that.
>doctrines and reality
But the Red Army had a very rigid way of thinking, keeping officers on short leash (shorter than say in the Wehrmacht) and prevent them doing their own thing and force them to keep the plan. And partially this is why everything fell apart when Barbarossa started, they had no plan to execute (even tho the planners, like Zhukov or Vatutin or whoever worked long nights on the plan, btw they were never punished for botching it - why? because their plan was good but not what the circumstances allowed them to follow).