Stalin predecessor (5)
I believe the answer is:
lenin
'stalin predecessor' is the definition.
(I've seen this in another clue)
This is the entire clue.
(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" .)