Tautvilas together with his brother Gedvydas and uncle Vykintas waged a civil war against Mindaugas.
They formed a powerful coalition with the Samogitians, the Livonian Order, and Vasilko of Volhynia in opposition to Mindaugas.
While Daniel and the Livonian Order were organizing military campaigns into Mindaugas lands, Tautvilas travelled to Riga, where he was baptized by the Archbishop in 1250.
Mindaugas thwarted the coalition by agreeing to baptize and relinquish control over some lands in the western Lithuania, for which he was to receive a crown in return.
The attack failed and Tautvilas' forces retreated to defend themselves in Vykintas castle in the present-day Rietavas Municipality.