Stalin predecessor (5)
I believe the answer is:
lenin
<span class="explanation-format__ClueExplanation">'<span class="explanation-format__original">stalin predecessor</span>' is the definition.<br/ ><span class="explanation-format__explanation">(I've seen this in another clue)</span><br/ ><br/ >This is the entire clue.<br/ ></span>
(Other definitions for lenin that I've seen before include "Leader of the Russian Revolution" , "Russian revolutionary" , "V. I. -, Soviet politician and revolutionary" , "Vladimir Ilyich Ulyanov, d. 1924" , "Linen for Communist" .)