What does Oswald Mosley's "Perish Judah" phrase mean in Peaky Blinders? Details revealed 

Sam Claflin's Oswald Mosley was a monumental addition to the Peaky Blinders Season 5 cast. Mosley not only became a menacing antagonist for Cillian Murphy's Tommy Shelby, but his character was also based on the real-life Fascist leader who formed the British Union of Fascists in the 1930s.

Oswald Mosley was one of the pioneers of Fascism in Britain and propagated right-wing extremism through anti-semitic slurs. His BUF eventually sought alliances with Adolf Hitler and N*zi Germany, further encouraging racist and xenophobic views.

Peaky Blinders Season 5 explores one such propaganda, when Oswald Mosley uses the "Perish Judah" phrase in one of his speeches. The phrase gained popularity in Britain in 1930 and literally means 'Death to Jewish people'.

More on this in our story.

Peaky Blinders: ''Perish Judah'' is an anti-semitic slur used by Oswald Mosley

Steven Knight's Peaky Blinders is not only the titular group's gangster saga but also a historical drama series, which aptly charts the rise of fascism in Britain in the 1930s. Real-life figures like Claflin's Oswald Mosley added depth to the show's historical narrative and exposed the rise of right-wing extremism in the country.

Fans might recall Oswald Mosley using a particular phrase in the Season 5 finale, ''Perish Judah''. This is a real anti-semitic slur that highlights Fascist leaders' racism and xenophobia. In the Peaky Blinders Season 5 finale, Oswald Mosley says Perish Judah, which is followed by the N*zi salute (also called Sieg Heil). Furthermore, the Fascist leader even influenced the Billy Boys' leader and other characters to mimic him and prove their support for Fascism and N*zi Germany.

Perish Judah was abbreviated to PJ and was used as propaganda to wish literal death on Jewish people. According to The Telegraph, Oswald Mosley and his people used the problematic phrase in real life to propagate hatred towards the Jews and justify Hitler's killing of their race. The phrase was not only limited to official speeches, but was also featured in children's books and songs, and people were encouraged to use it in their daily lives as a greeting in N*zi Germany.

According to the History Learning Site, the term became even popular after it was featured in a popular song titled Deutschland Erwache. The chorus of this particular song included the derogatory slur from Peaky Blinders as:

“Germany Awake! Perish Judah!”

The show certainly borrows the phrase from real history because Perish Judah was a popular slur, even being featured on children's clothing and belongings. In journalist Trevor Grundy’s 1998 book, he recalls how his mother used to embroider the letters “PJ” on his clothing and encouraged him to use them in his daily life.

From a young age, children were taught to discriminate against Jews, and anti-semitic slurs like Perish Judah helped leaders like Oswald Mosley to propagate this.

Will Oswald Mosley return in The Immortal Man?

Peaky Blinders exposed Fascist leaders like Mosley, but the final season pivoted back to Tommy's inner turmoil. While the show's final season stayed away from Mosley's politics, he continued to seek alliances with Hitler and N*zi Germany until he was arrested in a Fascist conspiracy in 1939.

This marked the end of Mosley's political career, and the BUF was even declared illegal during the outbreak of WWII. Since Oswald Mosley lost most of his power during WWII, he does not fit into the Peaky Blinders movie's narrative.

Since The Immortal Man is set during WWII, Claflin's Oswald Mosley will not return in the movie.

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