Russians had a much better sense of what a tank should be like in 1939-1941

The Russians who issued the specifications that led to the development of the KV-1 and T-34 tanks had a much better understanding what a battle tank should be like than their counterparts anywhere else. Germany was still building tanks that automotively were adequate but which were underarmed and underprotected. They still had too many Pzkw I and II tanks even by June 1941. If the Russians had had a good professional army, they would have slaughtered the Germans in 1941, but instead, Stalin had killed most of the competent soldiers, so they were run over by the Germans. When the Germans attacked, the front collapsed.