Franz Ferdinand's assassination is usually considered the spark of WWI. Which other events (antecedent to the assassination) can explain the outbreak of the Great War? Provide exact dates, and exact names of the political actors of the time.

The Franco-Prussian War, which took place between 1870 and 1871, was a key incident on the road to World War I. France suffered heavy losses, leading to hate and fear of a now united Germany. Otto von Bismarck managed to unite the German states under the Prussian flag, and France feared a strong Germany so much that it signed a treaty with Russia to ensure that, in the event of war with Germany, France would have support.
Another key event was the Russo-Turkish War of 1877-1878, as it helped to create the Balkan nationalism which was partly responsible for starting World War I. Turkey lost its Balkan territories and had a newfound animosity for Russia.
The creation of the Dual Alliance between Austria-Hungary and Germany in 1879 was also key. Even though Bismarck defeated Austria-Hungary in war, he desired to have them as a partner in the event of an attack by Russia. In light of a German alliance with another major European power, France and Russia signed a secret treaty in 1894 ensuring mutual defense.
Alfred von Schlieffen created the Schlieffen Plan in 1905 in order to propose a strategy by which Germany could defeat both France and Russia at the same time. This plan put a lot of emphasis on mobility and timetables and did not take into account that Russia could mobilize its troops faster than expected or that Britain would not take an invasion of Belgium lightly. It was also assumed that the French army would capitulate quickly. All of these factors turned out to be fatal for Germany.
Finally the ascension of Kaiser Wilhelm II to the throne of Germany in 1888 was a major part of the beginning of World War I. The kaiser did not wish to maintain the leadership of von Bismarck, so he let him retire. The kaiser also had a personal love of ships and a desire to be Britain's rival. His naval building program started an arms race between Germany and Britain. While the kaiser was portrayed as being one of the chief villains of World War I, he was only caught up in the events once they started. Still, his leadership of Germany prior to the war was a contributing factor to World War I.