Why weren't the German troops equipped with winter equipments?

Answer 1

Hitler and some if his advisors were under the erroneous impression that Operation Barbarossa (the name given to the German military invasion of the Soviet Union) would be completed by the fall of 1941. (It was launched in late June 1941). Hitler and the German high command (some of whom disagreed with Hitler) underestimated Soviet military and industrial capabilities, the ability of the Soviet command to reorganize after a sudden invasion, and the determination to carry out a "scorched earth" policy against the invaders. The German's ability to keep on schedule was severly hampered by the depth of the Soviet Union. German supply lines were dangerously long and often undefendable from attack, German maps of the region were often innacurate, many main roads were not paved and accessible for use by a modern army (forcing the Germans to use horses). Read about Operation Barbarossa for a fuller discussion.