Zhukov's First Victory is an introductory level game of the battle between the Soviet Union and Japan's Kwantung Area Army in the summer of 1939. A series of border disputes between Japan's puppet state of Manchukuo and Soviet-controlled Mongolia since the spring escalated to an undeclared war.

The Japanese sent the 23rd Infantry Division, reinforced with tanks, engineers, artillery and backed by much of their air force, to teach the Russian garrison a lesson. The Soviets, unknown to the Japanese, also sent reinforcements led by General Zhukov. In a series of battles the Japanese gained some success in July, but were crushingly defeated in August. The forces of the Rising Sun would never again strike north, and instead cast their eyes elsewhere for a path to world domination.